Manchester United welcome a title-chasing Arsenal side to Old Trafford in the Premier League this weekend – but first we’ve got to get Crystal Palace out of the way, with a Monday night trip to Selhurst Park.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard insists United manager Erik ten Hag’s comment about the meeting between the two clubs in September has not given the Gunners extra motivation ahead of the game.
United lost the game 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium on September 3, with the Gunners scoring twice deep into added time to seal all three points. We thought the result was in the bag as Alejandro Garnacho’s goal was deemed offside following a VAR review.
Ten Hag felt the wrong decision had been made.
“I think we deserved to win this game but you don’t always get what you deserve,” Ten Hag told BBC Sport after the game, as quoted by the Manchester Evening News.
Ten Hag referenced the defeat at Arsenal again in February, saying: “I think we can beat any opponent. Away or home.
“Sometimes away, we have to believe more. We could have won in Arsenal. We actually deserved that win.”
The mentality of Arsenal’s players has been questioned for years and I think it would be a sign that there is something seriously wrong with them if Mikel Arteta’s side required extra motivation at Old Trafford when they are in the middle of a Premier League title race with Man City.
In the lead-up to the upcoming game, Odegaard has finally hit back at Ten Hag’s comments. The Norwegian is adamant that his team-mates won’t need any extra motivation to beat the Reds.
“Honestly, no,” Odegaard told football.london. “I don’t think.
“It’s like any other game we are playing for at the moment. I don’t think we need any extra motivation at the moment.
“I think there is enough there. We know what we are playing for. We know the task. We have to win every game and that is what we are going to try to do.”
