Before Arsenal’s Sunday encounter against Manchester United, Mikel Arteta, the manager of the club, stated that Bukayo Saka and Takehiro Tomiyasu would need to be evaluated.
The Gunners lead the league heading into the weekend, behind only Manchester City by one point, even though Pep Guardiola’s team still has a game remaining.
Saka and Tomiyasu’s availability for Arteta’s trip up north may be in question after the manager stated during the pre-game press conference that he had “doubts” about the English midfielder’s fitness. The manager added that “we will have to wait and see” and that the two will need to be evaluated the day before the game.
Arsenal faces a difficult assignment when they travel to Old Trafford because they do not have a favourable record there. The Gunners have only triumphed there once in their previous 16 games, against Manchester United 1-0 in November 2020. They have also failed to defeat the Red Devils since 2006–07.
According to BBC Sport, Arteta responded, “Every game has a different context,” in response to a question regarding his team’s past performance. We will need to perform at our highest level to win the game because we are aware of our past performance there at Old Trafford. We are aware of what has to be done, but to earn the victory, we must first play well. That is the area of emphasis.
Arsenal announced Jorginho’s contract extension before the game. Although he has made 51 appearances for the team and moved across London in 2023 on an 18-month contract, the 32-year-old has never won a Premier League championship.
Arteta commented, “It leaves us in a very clear situation,” regarding the title problem. To be in the best possible circumstances, we must concentrate and take the necessary actions. That’s what we’re carrying out. We have to believe that we can defeat our opponent and that we are superior to them. The ultimate result may differ from what we had anticipated, but it is beyond our control.