Arsenal “don’t know” what to expect from Carrick’s Man United, says Arteta | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal could move 7 points clear at the top of the Premier League table if they beat Manchester United when the sides meet in North London on Sunday at 16:30 GMT.

The visitors pose an unknown threat, though, with Michael Carrick taking charge of the team for just the second time since the sacking of Ruben Amorim on January 5.

Man United “have their weaknesses”

Arteta explained to the media in his pre-match press conference that “Michael coming in will bring new ideas. Always, the intensity rises up. You could see that in the Manchester derby, the kind of behaviours and the game that they played, so we will expect a really tough match and we’ll adapt to that for sure. But we are at home and we know how important that game is for us.

“They are so good in a lot of departments. It is clear that when that team has a space to run in a certain place to activate or run, they become lethal. You saw that a few days ago in Manchester. They have a lot of attributes to cause you problems. But as well, like every team, they have their weaknesses as well.”

There is plenty riding on Sunday’s clash in N5. While Arsenal could extend their lead over Manchester City with a win, Carrick’s visitors could leapfrog Liverpool and pick up a place in the top four following the Reds’ 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.

Beyond that, though, there are bragging rights on offer – and Arteta spoke about the historic rivalry between the two clubs.

“You guys sell it so well, especially in Spain, because you could see the tension and the rivalry and those individual battles that were there as well that make the game really, really special. So, obviously, two massive clubs that have been fighting at the highest level for so many years and we want to try to have the best possible game to win it.

“Every game is different. At the end, the individuals are the ones that make the difference or the ones that make the game in a certain way and we’re going to try to be ourselves, be very dominant like we always want to be, impose the game that we want to play and regardless of what they want to do, we want to take the game in the areas that are very good for us.”

Havertz “is going to play” in the next few weeks

Kai Havertz’s fitness levels were also discussed during Arteta’s pre-match press conference, with the German nearing a return after a lengthy spell in the treatment room.

It has been almost a year since the 26-year-old started a game for the Gunners, having suffered a hamstring problem and then requiring knee surgery after sustaining an injury at Old Trafford on the opening day of the 2025/26 campaign.

Arteta revealed that Havertz is “very close” to making a return, but the club “have to be very smart in the manner that we manage that load.

“I am sure that in the next few weeks, he is going to play in minutes. I cannot tell you which competition because that will depend as well on the game context, and it is a context that is positive to throw him in or not, with his qualities. It is great that we have him. We can use him in different positions, we will see him in different positions, and we are really happy to have him.

“After a long-term injury it is not only the period that you come in, it is what happens in the next six to eight weeks, and we want to maintain that and manage that really well so that we can creep it up, as you said, when all the big, big games are coming up and we have to make sure that everybody is in the right mind and physically at the highest level.”