Arteta Unveils Shocking Michael Carrick Secret Ahead of Explosive Man Utd Clash
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta disclosed that interim Manchester United manager Michael Carrick was "among his preferred" holding midfielders during their playing days together in the Premier League.
Arteta and Carrick will face off as Arsenal welcome United on Sunday in the Premier League's marquee match of the weekend. However, the duo are well acquainted from their midfield duels spanning nearly ten years.
Across his spells at Everton and Arsenal, Arteta encountered a Manchester United team featuring Carrick in the middle of the park on 10 separate occasions. The Spanish midfielder emerged victorious just once.
Rather than harboring resentment, Arteta fondly remembered his encounters with Carrick, praising the former England star as "among my preferred defensive midfielders" during a Sky Sports interview this week. "Extremely clever," he continued, "appeared as though he never perspired, he was so composed throughout matches."
Arteta vs. Carrick on the Pitch
Arteta vs. Carrick on the Pitch
Statistic | Mikel Arteta | Michael Carrick |
|---|---|---|
Games | 10 | 10 |
Wins | 1 | 7 |
Draws | 2 | 2 |
Losses | 7 | 1 |
Team Goals For | 8 | 16 |
Team Goals Against | 16 | 8 |
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt.
Arteta and Carrick possessed contrasting natural abilities. During his Everton tenure, the current Arsenal boss operated more as an attacking midfielder, surging into the penalty area to contribute a steady stream of goals. Carrick, conversely, rarely advanced that far upfield, orchestrating play from deep in midfield.
Throughout his 12 campaigns at United, the tall midfielder contributed 16 Premier League goals; Arteta netted the same amount in just three seasons for Everton (2006–09) before transforming into a more defensive role in north London.
Carrick prevailed over Arteta in their sole previous encounter from the touchline—though he wasn't prepared to get overconfident about that result.
Carrick Downplays Arteta Record
Carrick Downplays Arteta Record
During Carrick's initial caretaker period at Old Trafford in 2021, he orchestrated a 3–2 triumph over Arteta's Arsenal. Ralf Rangnick observed from the stands as Cristiano Ronaldo netted twice in a VAR-influenced encounter which Carrick still described as a "flawless evening."
Five years later, he wasn't interested in looking back. "There's little to extract from that heading into this match," the steadfastly pragmatic coach remarked. "It's an entirely fresh challenge, a completely new contest, a different set of players. More focused on what we've accomplished this week, approaching the game and anticipating it."
Carrick can certainly draw encouragement from an outstanding performance against Manchester City last weekend. Arteta is definitely cautious of United's attacking pace.
"You witnessed that in the Manchester derby, the type of approach and style they displayed, so we anticipate a genuinely challenging encounter and we'll adjust accordingly for certain," he observed. "They excel in numerous areas, but it's evident that when that squad has room to exploit in specific zones to trigger or sprint, they become dangerous.
"You observed that several days ago in Manchester. They possess many qualities to create difficulties for you. However, similarly, like every squad, they have their vulnerabilities too."