Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says Manchester United are still in the title race as his side prepares to face the 13-time Premier League champions at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, Afrosport reports.
The Gunners are second in the league standings with 25 points, six points above United, who have moved up to ninth following two wins and two draws in their last four matches in the English top flight.
Arteta, however, believes the Old Trafford club, who are just four points off the top four, are not to be written off yet as it is still early days in the season.
“It’s still very early in the season,” Arteta said during his pre-match conference on Tuesday.
“Any team that has the capacity to put five or six wins in a row is going to be up there because it’s so tough and you see every week how all the teams are struggling to maintain winning, winning and winning. So I think anything is possible.”
Arteta also praised new United coach Ruben Amorim after his fine start to life in England, as the Portuguese has led the Red Devils to two wins and a draw in his first three games in charge.
“You can see his fingerprints in what he wants to do straight away,” the Spaniard added. “I think he’s been very clear, he’s been very successful with Sporting.
“He brings energy to a new club and to the players new ideas and that’s always something positive but we have to focus on what we have to do.”
Arsenal have had the upper hand against United in their recent meetings, having won four of their last five meetings, with three of those coming at home.
The two sides have also been drawn to face each other in the FA Cup third round, with the game also set for North London in January 2025, and Arteta has tipped the Gunners to overcome United.
“We play at home, it’s going to be a big match again and it’s a little bit of the story of the last few seasons that in the third or fourth round we are playing big opponents,” he said.
“But we want to do what we have done historically at this club and in the end, you have to beat the big teams to win it. It is what it is. We are excited.”
