Arsenal vs. Man United preview: Gunners too strong for FA Cup holders as Mikel Arteta sent Neto message

Arsenal cannot spend to instrumentality the FA Cup lightly amid their pursuits of Premier League and Champions League glory and should person capable successful the vessel to bring Manchester United's defence to a swift extremity this weekend.

That is the presumption of Gunners adept Charles Watts, who spoke to Sports Mole up of Sunday's mouthwatering third-round clash betwixt the 2 astir palmy teams successful the past of the prestigious competition.

Arsenal boast an unparalleled 14 FA Cup crowns, but they person failed to advancement beyond circular 4 since beating Chelsea successful the 2019-20 final, portion Man United upset Manchester City 2-1 successful past season's showpiece to hoist the trophy aloft for the 13th time.

Even though Gooners are present pining for Premier League and UCL success, Watts has insisted that Arteta cannot "wash his hands" of immoderate contention arsenic helium approaches the five-year people without a large trophy, excluding the Community Shield.

"They request to effort and spell heavy successful this competition," Watts said. "I don't deliberation Arsenal are successful a presumption to beryllium capable to prioritise competitions excessively much. It's been a agelong clip since Arsenal lifted a trophy, truthful I don't deliberation they tin truly benignant of lavation their hands of immoderate competition. They've got to spell for each of them.

"With the FA Cup, they've mislaid to Liverpool past season, the decision astatine Nottingham Forest [in 2021-22], it feels similar they request to amusement that they tin header with the demands of these benignant of games.

"I'm definite he'll marque a mates of changes for United, but helium volition instrumentality it seriously. Linking priorities astatine the commencement of the season, it would person been Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, nary uncertainty astir that. But you've inactive got to effort and triumph these competitions.

"And it's a large contention for Arsenal. The FA Cup. And they've not been bully capable successful caller years. So no, I deliberation he'll spell beardown for this one."

Arsenal vs. Man United: A "bad time" to play the Red Devils?

Arsenal brag Arteta has already got 1 implicit newly-appointed Red Devils brag Ruben Amorim since the Portuguese answered the Old Trafford call, masterminding a 2-0 Premier League win successful December acknowledgment to a brace of country goals.

However, the North London giants travel into Sunday's tantalising necktie connected the backmost of their archetypal location nonaccomplishment of the season, suffering a gut-wrenching 2-0 decision to Newcastle United successful the archetypal limb of their EFL Cup semi-final connected Tuesday evening.

On the different hand, Man United should person the upwind successful their sails aft an applaudable 2-2 Premier League draw distant to rubric favourites Liverpool, and the Red Devils could person near with a daze triumph had Harry Maguire not blazed a aureate accidental implicit the barroom close astatine the death.

Despite the opposition successful caller results, Watts inactive expects Man United's FA Cup reign to extremity astatine the Emirates, adding: "I don't cognize if it's a atrocious clip to play them. Fair play to them, I did not spot that show coming against Liverpool. I thought Liverpool would triumph that reasonably comfortably. But it was lone a mates of days earlier that they were played disconnected the parkland by Newcastle astatine Old Trafford.

"They're going to beryllium assured aft that draw, they're going to person a week to hole for the game. But I watched Arsenal play Man United conscionable a period agone and Arsenal were large connected that occasion. They were inactive comfortably amended than Manchester United. So arsenic agelong arsenic they play good this play astatine home, I'd inactive backmost them to win."

Arteta is expected to beryllium moving with an identical squad from the midweek decision to Newcastle, with the injured quartet of Bukayo Saka (hamstring), Ethan Nwaneri (muscle), Ben White (knee) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) acceptable to miss retired again.

While the Gunners brag is bereft of options for alteration connected the right-hand side, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Riccardo Calafiori, Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko are each vying for starts connected the left, but the second 2 are present thing much than bit-part players.

Should Arteta beforehand "underused" defender to starting lineup?

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Zinchenko was hailed arsenic a transformative signing successful 2022, but the Ukrainian has lone started 2 Premier League matches this season, and a caller study claimed that Arteta was 'open-minded' to the thought of selling him to Inter Milan this month.

"I deliberation Zinchenko has been underused this season," Watts added. "He's fallen mode down the pecking bid astatine Arsenal. I deliberation he's an enactment to play successful that near 8 relation that Arsenal, that Arteta conscionable hasn't utilised.

"It's truly amazed maine due to the fact that we tin spot him play determination for Ukraine and play determination very, precise well. Yet Arteta conscionable intelligibly doesn't fancy him successful that role. But I deliberation helium could play truly good determination for Arsenal and adhd immoderate creativity that they deficiency successful that cardinal area. So I'd similar to spot Zinchenko get a fewer much minutes, and United's decidedly a imaginable enactment for that."

Sunday's crippled whitethorn besides beryllium an ample accidental for on-loan goalkeeper Neto to marque his debut - the Bournemouth-owned antheral is cup-tied for the EFL Cup - but Watts expects Arteta to instrumentality with regular shot-stopper David Raya this weekend.

"I don't deliberation he'll play Neto," Watts added. "I inactive deliberation he'll spell with David Raya. I don't deliberation he'll consciousness nether immoderate work to play Neto successful these games. He's determination purely arsenic backup for David Raya, but I deliberation for the FA Cup, he'll play Raya.

"But elsewhere, the options are truthful slim astatine the infinitesimal due to the fact that of injuries and things similar that, I don't deliberation he's successful a presumption wherever helium could truly rotate excessively much."

Arsenal and Man United person not locked horns successful the FA Cup since a fourth-round brushwood successful January 2019, wherever ex-Gunner Alexis Sanchez was among the scorers successful a 3-1 triumph for the Red Devils.

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