On Friday, January 10, 2025, Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim singled out Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard for praise ahead of their FA Cup third-round tie on Sunday.
As both teams face pressure to avoid defeat, Amorim highlighted Ødegaard’s exceptional influence on Arsenal’s play, despite the midfielder’s relatively quiet statistics this season.
Amorim, whose team is struggling with a winless streak in their last six matches across all competitions, acknowledged the challenge of facing a team like Arsenal, especially after their recent 2-0 loss to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.
“I think he is really special because his influence on all the games of Arsenal is impressive. I played against them with Sporting, and he didn’t play in both games, and you feel it in the team. When he’s playing, Arsenal are a different team,” Amorim said.
The Gunners are looking to bounce back from their recent setbacks, while United, who earned a 2-2 draw with Liverpool at Anfield last week, will also be eager to turn their form around after failing to win in their last six outings.
The two sides have a history of tightly contested matches, and with Ødegaard’s leadership and influence, Arsenal will be hoping to overcome United, who lost 2-0 in their last visit to the Emirates in the Premier League, with both goals coming from set pieces.
