Ruben Amorim faces a difficult test against Arsenal in Manchester United’s first Premier League fixture of the season.
Manchester United’s head coach will be familiar with the Gunners having faced them three times last season.
Early into Ruben Amorim’s tenure at Old Trafford, United lost 2-0 to Arsenal in North London back in December 2024.
In the reverse Premier League fixture, though, United drew 1-1 with Arsenal at Old Trafford with Bruno Fernandes scoring a brilliant free-kick. The third meeting came in the FA Cup, where the Red Devils won on penalties after a grueling 120 minutes of action.
Alejandro Garnacho strikes the ball as Manchester United face Arsenal.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Ruben Amorim will avoid ‘frustrating’ tactics vs Arsenal
Having arrived as head coach midway through the season, Amorim experienced some difficulties trying to teach the squad an entirely new system.
Amorim needed more time on the training pitch with his players to fully get his ideas across, so in some matches he opted to sit back and hit teams on the counter-attack.
That is precisely what happened against Arsenal, but Amorim admitted United cannot play defensively against Arsenal in the future after setting his side up in a low block.
After the draw in March, Amorim told reporters: “When you coach Manchester United, you cannot play this too much. The idea is to win the game.
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“You imagine one way to win the game in this context. I know it’s frustrating for the fans. Sometimes, we have to do things that are not popular.
“It’s also the opponent. We try to choose the best moments to press high and had some moments of winning the ball. In the future, we’re not going to play like that, but we just want to win games. I think our fans understood the moment.”
Ruben Amorim can show Man United’s tactical progress vs Arsenal
Before facing Arsenal on August 17th, Amorim will finally have a full pre-season with his players to prepare them for the upcoming 2025/26 season.
Amorim has been compared to Pep Guardiola by club CEO Omar Berrada for sticking to his principles during his first season, and he will hope that it will bear fruit in his second season in charge.
Over the summer, Amorim will continue training his players in his 3-4-2-1 system and the squad will be much more familiar with their individual roles by the time Arsenal visit Old Trafford.
READ MORE: Viktor Gyokeres or Chido Obi could decide Man United’s opening Premier League fixture as Arsenal battle intensifies
Of course, United will still need to defend well against the Gunners, but Amorim will hope to see a more free-flowing and attacking performance from his squad compared to in March.
Hopefully, United will have a new-look attack to face the Gunners, potentially including Viktor Gyokeres who has also been heavily linked with Arsenal.