Arsenal are preparing for their massive cup clash with Manchester United this Friday, and Unai Emery thinks that the Red Devils are a ‘very dangerous’ opponent.
With Liverpool and Manchester City peeling away in the Premier League title race, the FA Cup takes on added importance for both sides as a realistic chance of silverware.
While both the Gunners and the Red Devils remain in Europe, the domestic cup competition seems to provide a much more realistic chance of glory, with a trip to Wembley potentially changing the complexion of either team’s season.
However, Manchester United‘s recent upturn in form under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, which has seen them win seven consecutive games in all competitions since the arrival of the Norwegian has left Arsenal manager Unai Emery very wary of this weekends opponents:
“It’s a different team,” Emery told his pre-match press conference.
“It’s the same players but they’re playing with a big performance now. I was watching their last matches and each player has a lot of confidence, with big performances, and now they are very dangerous.”
The Spaniard also revealed his awareness of the historical significance of this meeting between two teams familiar with cup success.
“For us, it’s good because it’s a very big test for us in this competition. Manchester United and us have played 20 finals in the FA Cup, and we’ve won 13 and they’ve won 12.
“For this competition, it’s the best match to play. We are looking forward to playing this match on Friday because it’s at our stadium, the Emirates, in front of our supporters.
“We feel very well in front of them and we want to create a new atmosphere over 90 minutes on Friday, together with our supporters.”