FA Cup Football Sports

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on the FA Cup and January transfer rumours

Arsenal travel to the Kassam Stadium to face League One side Oxford United on Monday evening.

Oxford lost their last game at home to Exeter City and are currently placed at 15th in the EFL League One.

They is a gap of 47 places between the two sides with the Gunners being the clear favourite having not lost a league game since September.

The winners will face Manchester City in the fourth round.

Arsenal are clear favourites but with upsets already occurring in the FA Cup this year you never know what’s on the cards.

“It will be difficult,” said Mikel Arteta speaking on Arsenal’s website.

“From what we’ve seen they’ve played in different ways, and result-wise as well they’ve had a bit of everything.

“It’ll be a very special night, and everybody will raise their level and it will be tough.

“It is obviously a competition that is attached to the successful history of this club, so on Monday we’ll have a good start and a good test.”

Arsenal have won the FA Cup a record 14 times, and with their current form will be hoping that they can make it 15 extending an already gargantuan record.

One of the most important parts of this match is the campaign run by Arsenal called ‘No more red’ this is a campaign against knife crime in London.

The match will feature the Gunners wearing all white kits for the second season running.

Previously the kit was worn against Nottingham Forest in 2022, Arteta had this to say on the subject: “It’s great.

“I think the support the club have given to the community and vice-versa, and the fact that we are constantly doing these kinds of things is very important.

It helps keep a lot of people – especially young people – safe in our community.”

The Spaniard also had some to add on transfer targets for January.

“Valuations have to be made between the selling club and the buying club, and it is difficult, but it shows there are a lot of clubs with a lot of financial power to spend big amounts, and we have to compete with them.

“To be smart, we must see good opportunities and we have to be attractive for players.

“At the end of the day, players decide where they want to play, and if they want to play for our club, that is great.”

After this encounter Arsenal have the much-anticipated North London Derby, taking on Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday January 15th at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a game they are expected to win based on form.

Meanwhile Oxford are taking on Fleetwood at Highbury Stadium on Saturday, the two sides are equal on points so one could start to create some distance with the other in the league standings.

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