Arteta wary of Amorim’s big-occasion players

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Manchester United may be enduring a miserable season but Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta remains wary of their ability to rise to the occasion.

Arsenal host United in the pick of the FA Cup third-round ties on Sunday and, although new boss Ruben Amorim is still finding his feet at Old Trafford, the Portuguese has managed to mastermind a 2-1 win at Manchester City in December and a 2-2 draw at Liverpool last weekend.

“Look at how they perform against the big teams and how they perform and the results they got,” said Arteta.

“I know him [Amorim] well, I followed him in Portugal and there is a big reason why he is where he is at the moment and he deserves to be there.

“Every manager when he is appointed is for different reasons. Sometimes it is to transform a football club.”

Arteta has fond memories of the FA Cup

Arteta has had a transformational effect on Arsenal, returning them to the elite in English football, but it has yet to translate into regular silverware with the 2020 FA Cup the only trophy he has won as a manager at the Emirates, although he did claim it twice as a player.

The competition has undoubtedly lost some of its appeal but Arteta has fond memories of Arsenal’s successes, adding: “The memory of winning something and sharing it with people is the ultimate goal.”

Arsenal will be hoping to bounce back from Tuesday night’s 2-0 defeat at home to Newcastle in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final – a match which they dominated for long periods without being able to finish any of their numerous opportunities.

Afterwards, Arteta partially attributed the setback to the ball, which is different in the EFL Cup, a remark that attracted plenty of attention.

Asked about it today, he said: “We adapt. In the Champions League, it’s different. Every ball is different, different flight. It’s not an excuse. Every pitch is different, the weather is different.”




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