Solskjaer talks up title chances as he joins Red Devils’ 100 club
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes Manchester United have the quality to challenge for silverware this season.
The Norwegian is looking to kick on in his second full season at the helm, having finished third in the top flight last term and reached three cup semi-finals.
Today’s Old Trafford encounter with Arsenal is his 100th match at the wheel and United need to avoid starting the campaign with four winless home league games for the first since 1972-73.
But Wednesday’s 5- 0 win against last season’s Champions League semi-finalists RB Leipzig will have increased confidence ahead of a match Solskjaer heads into facing a welcome selection headache.
“At the moment, we are looking like a Man United squad,” he said.
“Because I’ve got opportunities, I’ve got competition for places. Any successful team in the modern era of football have had that option to rest players, to rotate.
“That’s probably the only way you can last in the most intense league in the world, for me, and also with Champions League involved and you want go for the trophies – so I think our depth is our biggest strength in the title race.”
United made five alterations in midweek and still ran out 5-0 victors, with Donny Van de Beek, Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba among those brought in.
Those changes underline the increase in midfield options for Solskjaer, who was full of praise for World Cup winner Pogba after impressing on his return to the starting line-up.
“Paul can do everything on a football pitch more or less,” the United boss said.
“He can play long passes, he can get in the box, he can play combinations outside the box, but he played well, I have to say.
“He did impact the game; we love to see him when he’s driving forward and affecting the game.
“What has been the case with Paul – after being injured for so long and ill – it’s about getting the fitness back, getting the sharpness back and the fitter he is the more he can do.”
Pogba will hope to have done enough to retain his starting role against Arsenal, who have not won a league match at Old Trafford since 2006.
The fierce rivalry between United and the Gunners had started to peter out by then, but Solskjaer remembers the title tussles they enjoyed down the years.
“When I played it was between us and Arsenal to win the league, so that was a very fierce rivalry,” he said.
“There’s all sorts of stories about what’s been happening. The passion, the importance of those games.
“Of course we knew if we beat Arsenal and took six points from them that would’ be us winning the league more or less, and vice versa.
“There’s been some unbelievable games and some fond memories, some bad memories. Of course now there’s still the rivalry, there’s still the history, but now we don’t think about them as our rivals or anyone as our rivals.
“We just need to put points on the board and it’s so early in the season anyway,” he added.
Manchester United left-back Alex Telles will miss the match following his positive test for Covid-19.
The deadline- day signing made his debut in the Champions League win at Paris St Germain but did not make the squad against Chelsea or RB Leipzig after contracting coronavirus.
The Gunners clash looks set to come too soon for Jesse Lingard and Eric Bailly, while forward Anthony Martial completes a three-match domestic ban.
Arsenal will welcome back a host of regular names who were rested for the Europa League win over Dundalk on Thursday.
The likes of Pierre-emerick Aubameyang, Bernd Leno, Thomas Partey and Alexandre Lacazette are in line for recalls, while Willian is fit following an ankle injury.
Mikel Arteta is without a number of defenders with David Luiz ( thigh), Rob Holding ( hamstring), Pablo Mari ( ankle) and Calum Chambers ( knee) all missing through injury, although William Saliba is available to make his debut if called upon.
Arteta believes Leicester’s change of approach last weekend shows his side is commanding respect from their opponents.
The Foxes secured a 1- 0 win at the Emirates Stadium, their first victory away to Arsenal in 47 years, after Jamie Vardy’s late header followed a gameplan where the visitors sat back and frustrated Arteta’s men.
“We’ve improved on a lot of things in my opinion and we have all the stats to show that,” said the Gunners boss.
“Our thinking after Leicester, the reason why they did what they did in their game plan, to sit so low against us when they are not normally a team that do that – they play really attractive football – I came to the conclusion that we have the respect from other teams for them to do that.
“Now we have to try to change our strategy a little bit and try to train against more certain blocks that I think are going to happen a bit more often.”
Arsenal have tightened up defensively under Arteta, helping them to league victories over United and Liverpool last season and wins against Manchester City and Chelsea en route to winning the FA Cup.
But, at the other end, Arteta’s side have only scored three or more goals six times across all competitions since his appointment.