After a seven-day rest to recuperate from a hard-earned point at Anfield, Manchester United take to the Emirates for an FA Cup third-round tie.
Indeed, the Reds are on the road again in their next outing when they’ll lock horns with arch-rivals Arsenal; they are the two most successful teams in the competition’s history, meaning one of the big dogs will be knocked out early doors.
Against Liverpool last weekend, United displayed one of their most spirited and tenacious showings fans have seen all season, and for the first time in a long time, they left Merseyside feeling aggrieved at settling for a draw.
The likes of Amad Diallo, Bruno Fernandes, Manuel Ugarte, Harry Maguire and Kobbie Mainoo were all absolutely top-drawer throughout the night, so much so that you’d bet – like you can via the casino sites not on gamstop – they’ll be deployed from the off in North London on Sunday. They’ve certainly earned it.
Ruben Amorim vies with Mikel Arteta for the second time as United boss
United last faced Mikel Arteta’s men at the beginning of December and, in comparison to some of their showings after the clash, they actually fared relatively well. Arsenal’s only two goals came through set-pieces – as has been a reoccurring theme this season – but the hosts struggled to break down a well-drilled set-up from Amorim’s Reds.
It’s expected that Luke Shaw will return from his injury setback this month, though the tie will perhaps come too soon for him to feature in any capacity. As such, the boss will likely be deploying Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot in the wing-back roles after the latter absolutely dominated Trent Alexander-Arnold last time out.
When speaking to reporters after the full-time whistle, Amorim acknowledged that while he was thrilled with how his players conducted themselves, they have to be doing it each and every week in order to really earn praise.
“I want to see my team play so much better,” Amorim admitted. “But I think the most important thing to address today is the mentality. And that is the key to everything.
“So today we were a different team, not because of the system, not because of the technical aspect of the game, the tactical aspect of the game, we faced the competition in the way that we’re supposed to face every day – training and match. It doesn’t matter the place, the opponent, we need to face every day like that.”
The cup tie – due to kick-off at 3pm – will be broadcast on BBC One for UK viewers.
