Arsenal and Manchester United hope to turn the page on League Cup exits

LONDON – It is a weekend of redemption in the Premier League, with Manchester United and Arsenal with much to prove after their League Cup exits.

The Gunners are determined to make up for Wednesday’s 3-1 Cup loss at West Ham United when they face Newcastle United in the league on Saturday, manager Mikel Arteta said on Friday.

Sixth-placed Newcastle eased to an impressive 3-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford on the same day.

The Red Devils will be seeking their own redemption against Fulham as they seek to arrest their poor start to the season. Unlike United, the Cottagers booked their League Cup quarter-final spot in midweek, beating Championship Ipswich Town 3-1.

Amid the doom and gloom at United, there was potentially some positive news on Friday.

Sky Sports reported that Jim Ratcliffe is to pump £245m (S$410 million) into improving the club’s ageing infrastructure, as part of his prospective bid to acquire a 25 per cent stake in the Manchester club.

The Ineos petrochemicals head’s bid for the club could be completed in two weeks and is valued at over £1.25 billion. The infrastructure cash injection would be separate from this sum.

According to reports, that deal could allow him to take sporting control of the club, who sit eighth in the table with as many losses as wins after 10 league matches.

Arsenal, who are second and trail Tottenham Hotspur by two points, visit St James’ Park determined to keep pace with the leaders.

“Every time you have a defeat it takes a few days to get over, but the full focus is now on Newcastle,” said Arteta. “We know that the way we played, especially in the second half the other day was not good enough...

“There’s things we need to do a lot better, how we competed and especially the goals. I don’t think the scoreline reflects the game at all, but we should have done much better. You have to keep your standards at the maximum level to keep winning.”

With Spurs not playing until Monday, Arsenal, alongside third-placed Manchester City and Liverpool in fourth, have a chance to move to the top.

Arteta said this is reflective of the Premier League becoming ever more competitive.

“What has happened in the last five years is unprecedented. It never happened with the amount of points and level of the teams.

“Now it’s the amount of teams with that level that is increasing and increasing. That’s why comparing to the past in this league is a waste of time.

“It’s very different to what it used to be, and that puts the demands of what we do every single day in a different scope.”

With the level upped, Arteta said St James’ Park would be a good test for last season’s runners-up, calling it one of the “toughest places” to win.

“You want to play in those big atmospheres when you play football,” he said.

“It’s a privilege to play on those grounds. You have to embrace the moment and enjoy it. These are the arenas you want to be tested in. It’s an incredible footballing atmosphere there.”

He added that midfielder Emile Smith Rowe will face weeks on the sidelines due to a knee injury.

His United counterpart, Erik ten Hag, meanwhile, is convinced of the quality of his players and backed them to turn things around after back-to-back 3-0 defeats.

“I have a good squad. I’m convinced about the players in the dressing room. We saw these players last year, they can do a lot better, but that’s up to me to let them play better.

“I’m not thinking about transfer windows because I have a good squad... In this moment, obviously with two such defeats, we didn’t show it. But I’m convinced in the long term, they will be hard to beat and they know how to do it.”
REUTERS, AFP