Man Utd host Arsenal in the Premier League this weekend in another massive test for Ruben Amorim.
Wayne Rooney has warned Manchester United they will face a full strength Arsenal side when the two sides meet at Old Trafford this weekend. United prevailed on penalties the last time they faced Arsenal this season as they earned redemption for their Premier League defeat in early December.
United will hope to go into the clash on the back of a win when they face Real Sociedad in the Europa League tonight but they will face an Arsenal side with an extra two days rest and who are full of confidence following a resounding win in the Champions League.
Arsenal made history on Tuesday night when they became the first team in Champions League history to score seven goals away from home in the knockout stages of the competition with a 7-1 victory over PSV Eindhoven. The feat was made even more incredible by the fact Arsenal had six different scorers during the match, evidence of their goal threat across the pitch.
Wayne Rooney names new problem Manchester United vs Arsenal
Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney was a pundit for Arsenal's victory over PSV Eindhoven and piled the praise on Mikel Arteta's side for a resounding win. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard found the back of the net twice, while Jurrien Timber, Ethan Nwaneri, Mikel Merino, Leandro Trossard and Riccardo Calafiori also scored to all but secure a place in the quarter-finals of the competition.
The comfortable victory not only gives Arsenal a huge confidence boost heading to Old Trafford this weekend, but Rooney also thinks there is further bad news for his former side because Arteta has no reason to rest players anymore. “Mikel Arteta now has the opportunity to go for it on Sunday because he can now rest players in midweek," he told Amazon Prime. “He won’t say it but this tie is over. So Arsenal can go full throttle on Sunday.”
Arsenal are second in the Premier League and know three points are vital if they are to have any chance of cutting the 13-point gap on runaway leaders Liverpool so late in the campaign. It seems certain Arsenal will miss out on another Premier League title this season, and although they scored seven times against PSV, Rooney believes the failure to sign a striker last season has proved costly.
He added: "Not getting a striker in the summer was the biggest mistake I think. Getting players in January is always difficult. It’s difficult to get the right players for the right price. Whoever comes in [as sporting director], the priority for Arsenal has to be the No. 9. Mikel Arteta can play with a false nine but that’s the priority position. That position is so important. To have someone who can score you 20-30 goals a season, that’s what you need to win titles."
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