Manchester United face Arsenal at Old Trafford this Sunday in what is expected to be a colossal clash between the two English powerhouses. The Red Devils are on the hunt to secure their runners-up spot whereas Arsenal will be keen to notch up wins to end Arsene Wenger’s tenure on a positive note.
We are currently 3 points ahead of Liverpool, who appear to be catching us in the points table. To safeguard our spot, it is crucial that we beat the Gunners tomorrow. We come into this game on the back of a hard-fought semi-final clash against Tottenham Hotspur and the levels of confidence should be high among the players.
However, an opponent like Arsenal can never be taken lightly. Although the North London outfit are at 6th place in the league standings, they are more than capable of causing a nasty upset and we must do everything we can to avoid that.
Jose Mourinho seemed to agree with it as he touched upon various topics in the pre-match press conference, as reported by Manchester United’s official website.
The Portuguese lauded the team for the win against Southampton but he clarified as to why a victory is crucial for us against Arsenal.
“We have had a good week since Wembley. For the players, better than for me because they had more time off than I did but that’s just the nature of the job and I think they deserve that little rest,” Mourinho said.
“The majority of them, after the last match [against Chelsea in the FA Cup final], they will go to their national teams and to the World Cup, so to have a couple of days without football, I think it was nice for them.
“They come [back] mentally fresh, happy and ready to get that point we need to finish fourth and the seven points we need to finish second [in the Premier League] and ready to go to that final.”
Mourinho went on to talk about how United must focus towards doing a lot better next season and then expressed his admiration for Arsene Wenger as well. The manager admitted that he regrets some of the words and gestures he has exchanged with the Arsenal boss over the years but he also thanked the iconic Frenchman for the tough rivalry.
