The Spaniard has led his side to two Premier League wins out of three so far, with the north Londoners dropping their first two points of the season last weekend at home to Fulham, in what was a dramatic affair at the Emirates.
It was far from the desired result for the Gunners, conceding in the opening minutes of the game for the third time this year at home, a feat that must be broken on Sunday as Arsenal host Manchester United in what promises to be a thriller.
What is the latest Arsenal team news against Manchester United?
After picking up a controversial red card against Crystal Palace on match week two, Takehiro Tomiyasu will now be back in contention to start after serving a one-match suspension.
On the injury front, Eddie Nketiah has emerged as a potential doubt after sustaining a knee injury against Fulham, however the Englishman may still be available to feature against United.
Gabriel Jesus made his return to action after missing the start of the season due to a knee problem in what is a huge boost for Arteta, who will have his first-choice striker available for the clash.
In terms of transfers, Kieran Tierney has departed on loan, while Rob Holding also bid farewell before the close of the transfer window, sparking rumours as to who could start at the back.
Will Gabriel Magalhaes start against Manchester United?
One area of confusion at the start of the campaign has been the absence of Gabriel Magalhaes from the starting line up, on the back of the 2022/23 season that saw the Brazilian feature in every Premier League fixture.
The 25-year-old has started on the bench for the opening games, in a shift of tactical options at the back that hasn’t worked perhaps as effectively as expected for Arteta.
Against Fulham, there was little cohesion in the shape at the back, with Thomas Partey starting at right-back, Ben White and William Saliba at centre-back and Jakub Kiwior on the left sideOne of the areas that made Arsenal tick last term was the combination of White and Oleksandr Zinchenko at full-back, with Saliba and Gabriel at the heart of defence, a dynamic that has been absent so far.
Against United, it’s not the time for the Spaniard to test the waters with unfamiliar set-ups, adding to the Brazilian’s claim to return to the starting eleven.
Lauded as a “monster” by journalist Jason Soutar, the 25-year-old earned a 7.1 Sofascore match rating last time the two sides faced competitively, winning 100% of his ground duels and contributing to dimming the noise of Marcus Rashford.
If deployed in his usual position on Sunday, the former Lille machine could repeat history at a time of need, with United’s lively Englishman hungry to open his scoring tally for the 2023/24 campaign.
In restoring the £27m man against the Red Devils, Arteta could also restore the cohesion and familiarity in defence for the Gunners, in a fixture that is a must-win for both teams considering their fierce rivalry.
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