football.london discuss what the impact on Arsenal is as a result of Manchester United sacking head coach Ruben Amorim
14:00, 05 Jan 2026
Manchester United have sacked Ruben Amorim and Darren Fletcher will take charge when the Red Devils face Arsenal in January
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Manchester United have sacked Ruben Amorim and Darren Fletcher will take charge when the Red Devils face Arsenal in January(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
A second managerial shockwave has hit the Premier League as under a week after Enzo Maresca was sacked as Chelsea head coach, Manchester United relieved Ruben Amorim of his duties. Not so long after Sir Jim Ratcliffe mentioned Mikel Arteta as a reason to be patient with the Portuguese coach, he has now gone.
For Arsenal, they have already gone to Old Trafford and won on the opening day, but will host the Red Devils at the Emirates Stadium later this January. Darren Fletcher is taking over in the interim while the search for a new coach begins.
But broadly, what will the impacts be on a club like Arsenal? Well, football.london is on hand to discuss that very thing and delve into some of the potential impacts that will certainly be considered in north London
Arsenal will continue to dominate
The first is an expectation that Arsenal will continue to be above Manchester United for the foreseeable future. Returning to square one with a new coach while Arsenal remain in the hunt for the Premier League title and the favourites for it.
Under Amorim, he managed to win once on penalties against Arteta but drew one other and lost the two remaining meetings, including on the opening day this season. I cannot see any other outcome than the status quo remaining as it is.
Structure vindicated
Head coach or manager? Well, based on the outcome of Arteta, Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, there truly seems to be only one way to go.
Chelsea have broken the mould somewhat, but in a chaotic fashion with big peaks and pig troughs. However, it seems the clubs that give their managers influence and decision-making powers on transfers, among other things, have reaped the benefits of late.
Is the decision not to give Amorim, alongside Maresca previously at Chelsea, more control and a greater holistic approach to running the club proving detrimental? So far, yes.
Who next?
That is the big question and right now we do not know who the permanent appointment will be. However, in the meantime, Darren Fletcher will take charge as interim caretaker manager.
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He follows the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy and Michael Carrick, who have taken on similar tasks. However, both have had up and down post-interim placement roles with Leicester and Middlesbrough, respectively.
Fletcher will be in charge, it seems, when the Red Devils come to the Emirates Stadium this January. The last time United were in this side of north London they came away with an unlikely cup win, and Arteta will hope to reverse such a result this time as he continues his fight for the title.
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