Ruben Amorim says Manchester United must be brave at Arsenal as the recently-appointed head coach faces his toughest test to date.
Erik ten Hag’s successor is looking to secure his first away win in charge when the Red Devils travel to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening.
United moved up to ninth in the Premier League standings with Sunday’s 4-0 victory against Everton, putting them just six points behind second-placed Arsenal.
Amorim’s name rung around Old Trafford after that impressive follow-up to the 1-1 draw at Ipswich and 3-2 Europa League comeback win against Bodo/Glimt, but now comes a significant step up in quality.
“It’s the best team that we have faced by far, but the test is every game,” United’s head coach said of Mikel Arteta’s men.
“If you see the last game (on Sunday), it was really tough. It was a 4-0 but if you see the game like I see it (it was tough).
“Everything now is a test – without so many minutes to train, trying to manage the number of minutes for a lot of players who cannot try to imagine one game.
“You have to know that some players have to be out of the pitch in 60 minutes or 70 minutes, so it’s really hard. In this moment everything is a test.
“But Arsenal are at a different point of their team. They are in a different moment (to United).”
Arsenal have finished as runners-up to Manchester City in the last two Premier League seasons and are looking to record a fourth straight win against United.
🙏 "He is the future of our team."
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 2, 2024
Ruben appreciates @NMazraoui97 ahead of our trip to Arsenal 🫶#MUFC || #PL
Arteta has won six of nine Premier League meetings with United since taking charge and Amorim wants his side to forget that recent history in Wednesday’s clash in the capital.
“It’s important to be brave,” the Portuguese said. “When I say brave, it’s not pressing all the time higher, it’s not the same.
“We have to understand the game, the moments of the game and we need to have the ball. That is the key point because we want to have the ball.
“We want also to dominate some moments of the game because we know that in this match it’s hard to control all of the game.
“If I have to say something, we have to be brave and to play the game.”
Those positive characteristics have been epitomised by summer signing Noussair Mazraoui.
The versatile 27-year-old full-back has played across the backline since joining from Bayern Munich and has even been deployed in the number 10 role on one occasion.
Mazraoui has started on the right side of the back three in every match so far under Amorim, who has been impressed by the Morocco international.
“In training, I don’t see him a lot but in games he’s a top player because he understands the game,” Amorim said.
“He knows how to attack, he’s very technical. He’s very good defensively, very good at one-on-one. He’s a modern player. I think he’s the future of our team.
“When you think about him, you think ‘we need more like Nous’ that can control the tempo, they are really, really good and comfortable with the ball, and they understand the game.”
