Mikel Arteta stands up for Erik ten Hag amid Manchester United uncertainty

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes Manchester United counterpart Erik ten Hag is an excellent coach who deserves more time at Old Trafford.

The Reds host title-chasing Arsenal on Sunday evening and need a win to stand any chance of qualifying for European football next season.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are trying to deliver a first league title in 20 years.

Monday night’s 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace put extra pressure on Ten Hag’s job. If United keep losing matches like that, he’ll be out of a job because it’s a results business.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the game, Arteta made it clear that he believes Ten Hag deserves more time to get things right at United.

“I can only talk about what I think about him as a coach,” Arteta said, as per The Independent. “He’s an excellent coach. I admire his teams, both Ajax and United.

“I know what he’s trying to do, I know how he does it, I know how difficult it is to prepare games against him, so I have huge respect for him.

“Hopefully, yes, he gets the time because we are colleagues and we know how difficult it is in this league and what the margins are and yeah, hopefully that’s the case because I think he is an excellent coach.

“If you want to win the Premier League and big trophies, you have to go to these grounds and impose yourself and beat them. That’s the journey we are on and that’s for sure what we are going to try to do on Sunday.”

Arteta speaks with experience after his Arsenal side finished eighth in his first two seasons as manager. Now they are challenging City for the title.

This is the second successive season where Arsenal have mounted a title challenge, having been beaten by City last year.

The title this season is in City’s hands. They will win a fourth consecutive title by winning their remaining two matches.

On the other hand, Arsenal have not been champions since their invincible season in 2004.

Arteta added: “I started to have that feeling last season, when we started to be very consistent and very ambitious.

“I could see that the standards weren’t dropping day by day. Obviously the moment that you start to add other pieces to the puzzle and players start to have more experience, start to keep improving, you build some momentum.

“Around the club as well there is that sense that we can do it, that we are good enough to do it. It has been a journey.

“We are close to being capable. With that trophy in our hands, we have done it. It has to be a reality. At the moment it is what we are chasing.”