Games against old rivals Manchester United are always special occasions, but for Mikel Arteta, Sunday’s visit to Old Trafford will have extra significance.
Arteta will take charge of the Gunners in the Premier League for the 200th time, becoming just the 13th boss to achieve the feat at the helm of one club.
Arsenal are facing a mammoth task in keeping up the pace with log-leaders Liverpool, who are slowly but surely running away with the league title. The Gunners are on 54 points after 27 matches. Liverpool are sitting comfortably at the top with 67 points, having played a game extra.
Arsenal know that tonight’s match is a must-win if they are to catch the log-leaders.
Manchester are having a topsy-turvy season and on Thursday, they were made to settle for a 1-1 draw from the first leg of their Uefa A Europa League last-16 tie away to Real Sociedad.
United created plenty of good opportunities at the Reale Arena and were fully deserving of the opener, when Joshua Zirkzee fired the Red Devils into a 57th-minute lead. But United were unable to score a much-needed second goal before Sociedad’s Mikel Oyarzabal equalised from the penalty spot, after the VAR spotted a handball from Bruno
Fernandes inside the 18-yard area.
So, The Reds will be upbeat and fired up when they welcome their foes in the Theatre of Dreams. Kick-off for the match is at 6:30pm.
According to the Gunners website, in his first 199 matches, Arteta won 118 times – the fifth-most victories of any manager in their first 200 in the competition.
The Spaniard first took his spot in the dugout against Bournemouth in December 2019, and since then only his former boss Pep Guardiola has clinched more victories and points in the league.
