Arsenal welcome Sheffield United in the Premier League this weekend and this game is all-important for the Gunners and their hopes of getting back into the Champions League.
Right now, Arsenal are 10th on the league table, 11 points off the fourth spot but that area of the table is so closely contested that one slip up and the North London side will be closer to the bottom of the table instead of the top.
Also, next up they have a London Derby against Chelsea in which they could drop points meaning they can’t afford any slip-ups against the Blades.
But all said and done, beating a Chris Wilder side has never been an easy task this season which is why Mikel Arteta has sent out a special warning to his players ahead of the match.
The manager told in the press conference: “I’ve been very impressed. I’ve seen a lot of games and everything is prepared.
“Everything they do has a real sense, they are really difficult to break down. The solidarity in their team is incredible, how hard they work for each other and they have very clear principles – in attack and in defence, restarts of play, set-pieces – with what they want to do.
“So it will be a very difficult test. I already warned the players today.
“The work he’s done is phenomenal and he’s done some special things as well with some movements and characteristics of how he moves his team around, and the demands that he puts on his players.
“What I like about a manager is when I see a team and they are a real team that fights for every single ball with their attitude and behaviour, as well as their intentions for what they want to do every time.Â
“It’s very clear what he’s trying to do, so I have big admiration for him.”
If Arsenal fail to win against Sheffield United then they could very well move down to the 13th spot on the table meaning their hopes of finishing in the top-four this season will more or less be over.
