Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is excited for his team's FC Cup clash against Manchester United.
Arsenal and Manchester United will get to know each other very well over the next few weeks. The two will battle it out in the Premier League before a third-round FA Cup clash.
With the Gunners looking to close the gap on league leaders Liverpool when they host United midweek, there is also a good chance to advance a few weeks later in the FA Cup against what is a resurgent United side.
Arsenal lifted the famous trophy back in 2020, which remains Mikel Arteta's only "big" piece of silverware in his Gunners tenure, while United are the defending champions, having dispatched Manchester City 2-1 last season.
And for Arteta, it's an exciting challenge.
"That’s the thing about draws, you can get anybody," Arteta said via arsenal.com. "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 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."
Scenes against Manchester United 🤩 pic.twitter.com/bb7o7UJPks
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 3, 2024
But while the FA Cup clash is an enticing matchup, so too is the one Arsenal is about to undertake in the league, and it could have far-reaching repercussions.
Already nine points behind league leaders Liverpool in second, the Gunners can't afford many, if any, slip-ups at this early stage of the season if they are to reel in Arne Slot's team.
Given how poorly the Gunners played prior to the international break, that period might be the reason Arteta's side didn't win the title—but so might losing to United.
With both sides in good form with United unbeaten in their last seven games in all competitions and the Gunners on a three-game winning streak, all roads lead to the Emirates in what is a crucial battle for Arsenal - and one it must win.
Arteta was coy on the injury updates of Mikel Merino, Thomas Partey, Gabriel, and Riccardo Calafiori, but if all four can feature in some capacity, Arsenal's chances of claiming a vital three points will skyrocket.
This is one game the Gunners can't afford to lose.