Ten Hag confident of league double over leaders Arsenal

Erik ten Hag is confident Manchester United can frustrate Arsenal again as his side look to do the double over the Premier League leaders.

A mightily impressive first half of the campaign has the Gunners atop of the standings and fans beginning to dream of a first league crown since Arsene Wenger's Invincibles triumphed in 2004.

Arsenal head into the weekend five points clear of Manchester City and boast a game in hand on both the reigning champions and third-placed United, who will attempt to hack away at their eight-point gap on Sunday.

Ten Hag’s improving side head to north London buoyed by a superb unbeaten run and the knowledge that they are the only team to have beaten Mikel Arteta’s men in the league this season.

"It is obvious they are in a really good run and I think they deserve the position where they are now," said the United boss, who oversaw September’s 3-1 Old Trafford victory against the Gunners.

"It’s a really good structure, how they play. There’s a really good mentality, winning attitude in that team. That’s why they are top of the list.

"So, they are in a great run but it is up to us to beat that run and we will do everything to do that."

Asked if he was surprised to see Arsenal leading the league at this stage, Ten Hag said: "No. In the moment we played them, you could already see that the manager with his coaching staff was for a long time already working on that team.

"You see really good structures in the team and I think they even improved during the first half of the season.

"There is a really good spirit as well in that team, so we know what to do. We have to be really good. We need a really good performance.

"But if we do, I think we have a good chance also to get out of that performance a good result."