Arteta views Manchester United as potential title contenders despite poor start
MNP – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said it was too early to dismiss Manchester United as contenders for the Premier League title.
He spoke ahead of his team’s match against Ruben Amorim’s rejuvenated United on Wednesday.
United trailed league leaders Liverpool by 15 points and were four points behind the Champions League spots after 13 matches. Despite their struggles under the recently dismissed Erik ten Hag, Arteta believed they could still compete.
“It’s still very early in the season,” Arteta said at Tuesday’s press conference. Arsenal sat second in the table, six points ahead of United. “Any team that has the capacity to put five or six wins in a row is going to be up there because it’s so tough and you see every week how all the teams are struggling to maintain winning, winning and winning. So I think anything is possible.”
Arteta also warned against ruling out Manchester City despite their poor form. The defending champions lost their past four league matches, leaving them 11 points behind Liverpool. “Again, if there is a team with the capacity to turn it around and start to win, win, win and win –- don’t rule them out because you know how much quality they have,” he added.
Arsenal aimed to extend their strong home record against United, who showed promise under Amorim, winning two and drawing one of their three matches since his arrival. Arteta noted the positive impact of the former Sporting Lisbon boss.
