Manchester United’s tough fixture list shows no signs of abating, with a trip to Arsenal next in line after a battling draw at Anfield against Liverpool.
Ruben Amorim’s men have actually done better against the bigger sides than they have when they are favourites for a game so it might suit them.
Arsenal was the place where United’s big set-piece weakness was exposed royally which has since given Amorim and his Man Utd coaching staff sleepless nights against other opponents too.
However, ahead of a crucial knockout FA Cup fixture for the defending champions, striker Rasmus Hojlund has said that United might hold an underrated advantage this time.
Rasmus Hojlund on Man Utd advantage against Arsenal
When United traveled to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal in the league, their performance was encouraging but they were undone by set-pieces.
It provided a building block for Amorim and gave confidence to the players that they could go to a top team’s ground and fight toe-to-toe instead of acting like lambs for slaughter/underdogs.
It is arguably that confidence that translated to more positive performances and results against Manchester City and then Liverpool.
Hojlund spoke to Man Utd’s official website and said that the club having faced Arsenal recently can be an advantage for them if they execute their game plan well.
He said: “It can be [a good thing that we played there not long ago], if we do it right. I think we need to be sharp at set-pieces, they have been very good on that, and they scored twice from that last time around.
“So yeah, very focused there. Just trying to keep improving and do what the manager’s saying and I think we will be good.”
Ruben Amorim’s tactical prowess can come to the fore
When there’s another fixture against the same side in quick succession, it often becomes a chess match between the two managers who already know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
Amorim will get to test himself against Arteta for the second time and it will provide a marker for him to see how far his team have come since then.
As Hojlund said, it can be an advantage for United if they execute Amorim’s plan correctly because the Man Utd manager has already shown he’s a tactical maverick when given time on the training pitch.
The Liverpool game was the first one after a long while where he had time to work on the training pitch and that translated to a positive display.
Against Arsenal, not only has he had time again, but he’s also got experience of facing them and the threats they possess or the weaknesses they might have.
A win here would do wonders for the confidence of the Man Utd squad that is in the starting stages of its development but already going toe-to-toe with top teams at least.
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