Mikel Arteta highlights the strengths of Manchester United under Carrick and warns Arsenal to beware of being knocked out like Manchester City.
On 24 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Mikel Arteta, Arsenal's manager, warned his players to prepare carefully to face Manchester United, especially during transitions from defense to attack, ahead of the Premier League match at Emirates Stadium against the "Red Devils" on Sunday, 25 January at 23:30 GMT+7.
Although United have had a challenging season and recently changed managers, their latest 2-0 win over Manchester City under caretaker manager Michael Carrick showed they are becoming dangerous again on the counterattack.
"They are very strong in many areas. It's clear that when this team has space to run and players who can create openings, they become deadly. We saw that just a few days ago in the Manchester match," Arteta said.
"They have enough quality to always cause problems. Of course, every team has weaknesses. Historically, United have been associated with counterattacking football and players with that profile, and as I said from the start, they excel at exploiting those spaces."
"I don't know the exact stats, but I'm confident they are one of the best teams in this regard."
Regarding team fitness, Arteta revealed that Riccardo Calafiori (muscle injury) and Piero Incapieru (thigh) have returned to training, while Kai Havertz's return still requires caution after hamstring and knee issues, having not started any matches since 5 February.
Arteta also confirmed that Ethan Nwaneri is close to completing a loan move to Marseille to gain playing time and develop his skills.
/Related news/