Mikel Arteta on Friday hailed the achievements of opposing manager, Ruben Amorim, who has made waves since taking charge in November 2024.
With results like a win at Manchester City and a 2-2 draw at Anfield, Amorim’s side has caught Arteta’s attention.
“When you look especially at the big teams [they’ve played], how they perform and the results that they’ve got, it’s very impressive,” Arteta remarked in his pre-match press conference.
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A statement retrieved from the Arsenal website on Saturday morning revealed this.
“I know him well, I followed him a lot when he was in Portugal, and there is a big reason why he is where he is at the moment, and he deserves to be there,” he said.
For Arteta, the FA Cup holds a special place in his career.
The competition gave him his first major trophy as a player in 2014 and later as Arsenal’s manager in 2020, when the Gunners defeated Chelsea 2-1 at Wembley.
Despite recent struggles to progress beyond the fourth round, Arteta is determined to secure a record 15th FA Cup title for Arsenal, starting with Sunday’s high-stakes match.
“It’s a massive part of our history,” Arteta emphasised.
“We’ve won it 14 times, and it is a competition very attached to us. It’s a beautiful game to play against a massive club, and a very special occasion as well with the amount of supporters that they’re going to bring, so it’s a very big game,” he added.
Arteta called on Arsenal fans to match the energy of the 8,000 traveling Manchester United supporters, aiming to create a raucous atmosphere at the Emirates.
“We have to be noisier, more on the front foot, certainly [more] than them.
“It’s a special occasion to create that atmosphere. I think it’s a beautiful football atmosphere, so let’s make it our own,” he said.
