Hull City manager: Arsenal will be difficult to stop ahead of their clash

Hull City manager Sergej Jakirović called Arsenal one of Europe’s best teams ahead of Saturday’s Premier League meeting between the sides at the Emirates Stadium. He said his team would need an exceptional performance to match the hosts.

Jakirović said he had watched several Arsenal matches in search of weaknesses but had not found any obvious ones, praising the team’s ability to control games and the depth of its squad. He noted that Martin Ødegaard and Riccardo Calafiori were among the substitutes in the Champions League win over Slavia Prague, and expected Arsenal’s attack and set pieces to pose a threat regardless of the starting lineup.

The Hull manager felt that sitting back and defending passively would not be enough, urging his team to press, compete for the ball and make the most of Arsenal’s moments out of possession. He raised pushing the defensive line higher as an option, while acknowledging the risks of leaving space, and identified counterattacks and quick transitions as possible ways to create chances.

Jakirović praised Mikel Arteta’s work and Arsenal’s tactical organization. Arsenal go into the match after a 2-1 win over Slavia Prague in the Champions League and a 1-0 victory over Liverpool in the league. Jakirović considers them clear favourites, but hopes Hull City can make the match difficult through intensity, discipline and organization.