Two matches to go and all Arsenal players are thinking about is Manchester. They are not obsessing with title rivals Manchester City, who remain in control of their defence of the Premier League title as they have a game in hand on Mikel Arteta’s men. Far from worrying about what Pep Guardiola’s side may or may not do, Arteta has his players solely focused on their own matches and up next is a trip to the red half of Manchester and Old Trafford.
While the Arsenal manager was watching City beat Wolves in his pyjamas with wife and kids on Saturday night, club captain Martin Odegaard was thinking about how to take down Erik ten Hag’s United.
He explained: “We must focus on ourselves. We don’t know what other teams will do but we put on a good performance against Bournemouth on Saturday, we keep putting pressure on Man City so we just must keep going and then go again.”
Arsenal cannot win the title with a win at Old Trafford this season, as they did when they won the Double in 2002, but they can stay in it if they beat United on Sunday. Odegaard and his team-mates are aware of the history too. He also denied Ten Hag’s dismissive comments of Arsenal after United lost in London earlier this season will not serve as added motivation.
“We have heard the stories and we have seen what has happened there, how much it meant for the club’s supporters,” Odegaard added. “It is a part of the history and it is something we want to do again. We want to make the fans happy again. It has been a big goal for a long time to win something so that’s what we are pushing for and we keep going until the end.
“Ten Hag? Honestly, I don’t think so. It is like any other game and we don’t need any more motivation now. There is enough there, we know what we are playing for and we know the task, win every game, that’s what we are trying to do.
“It’s like any other game. we are used to playing in big games. We have played in a lot of big stadiums and it is a normal thing for us. We go there with one goal and that’s to get the three points so it is any other game.”