Manchester United will be aiming to make it four Premier League wins a row this weekend as they host Arsenal at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils come into the game fresh off the back of earning a slender victory over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium to continue their impressive resurgence under Erik ten Hag. United have actually not managed to win four Premier League games in a row since April 2021 and will be extremely keen to do just that - particularly more so with a place in the top four on offer come the end of the weekend should results go their way.
With that being said, Ten Hag and his troops have been hard at work at Carrington ahead of their clash with the Gunners. Here are a few things that Mirror Sport has spotted during the Red Devils’ most recent preparations.
1.Antony trains for the first time
With the transfer window now firmly closed, Ten Hag knows what squad he is able to call upon until January at the very least. One of the club’s final additions of the window was Brazilian wideman Antony, who completed an £86m switch to Old Trafford after months of negotiations between United and Ajax.
Whilst it remains to be seen whether he will be available to appear against Arsenal, he is already in the swing of things with his new club. The Brazilian took a full part in training ahead of the game.
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United boss Ten Hag has already given his verdict on Antony and is backing him to very quickly take the step up to the Premier League in his stride. He said: "He proved himself already. Champions League, Brazilian national team and Olympic gold medalist. Brazil has a number of players so high talented. You can select two or three teams and he can deal with the pressure. He will bring temperament and creativity.
"Also for him it is a new start and he has to adapt to the team, to the Premier League and to the high intensity. But I'm sure he will adapt."
2. Brazilian connection
On the topic of Antony, the Brazilian arrives at the club with a few familiar faces able to welcome him. His move to United sees him reunited with former Ajax teammate Lisandro Martinez.
He also is now a teammate of compatriot Casemiro - the midfielder having also completed a move to Old Trafford this summer. The pair already appear to be striking up an understanding having seemingly shared a joke and a smile whilst on the Carrington training pitches.
3. Ronaldo all smiles
Whilst Antony and Casemiro became Red Devils this summer, one man who was keen to exit the club was Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese forward lodged a request to move away - citing a lack of Champions League football as one of his prime motivations behind pursuing an exit.
A number of clubs were linked with a swoop for the veteran striker, Jorge Mendes seemingly doing his best to drum-up interest, but in the end a deal proved too difficult to rubber-stamp. After the window, Ronaldo remains a Man Utd player but that does not appear to have dampened his mood all that much.
Like Antony and Casemiro, the former Real Madrid and Juventus star allowed himself a smile during training - potentially helped by Robbie Savage’s claim that he should start against Arsenal this weekend having been left on the bench against Leicester.
He said: “For me, this is a game where you play your big players, so if I was Erik ten Hag, I would start Cristiano Ronaldo and Casemiro.
“Ronaldo's impact, when he came on in United's 1-0 win at Leicester, was fantastic, and he will want to start against Arsenal. Casemiro brings authority and composure, and United will need that against Arsenal, who are flying high.”
4. Dubravka involved
Whilst deadline day was relatively quiet for the Red Devils - allowing for their trip to the King Power Stadium - the Red Devils did manage to welcome a new face to the club. Slovakian goalkeeper Martin Dubravka has penned a one-year loan deal at Old Trafford with the option of a permanent move.
The Newcastle United man is set to play a back-up role to regular number one David de Gea but that has not stopped him from getting his hands stuck in - quite literally.
Like Antony, the goalkeeper was spotted getting involved in United’s preparations for their clash against Arsenal. It is unlikely that he will be involved at the weekend but should he get called upon, then it is certainly a positive sign seeing him get up to speed.
5. Youngsters get the chance to impress
A number of young players have progressed through Man Utd’s academy over recent years to play prominent roles in the first team - namely Marcus Rashford, Anthony Elanga and more - and that theme appears set to continue under Ten Hag.
Kobbie Mainoo, Bjorn Hardley, Shola Shoretire, Isak Hansen-Aaroen, Zidane Iqbal, Alejandro Garnacho and Marc Jurado were all among those pictured taking a part in training and could potentially be handed a place on the substitutes bench against Arsenal should they have impressed Ten Hag enough.
