Arsenal vs. Manchester United: Louis van Gaal's Key Pre-Match Presser Comments

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal showered Arsenal with praise ahead of their upcoming Premier League clash on Sunday, saying the Gunners are arguably the best team in the league from a tactical and technical perspective.

As reported by the Daily Mirror's Hamish Mackay, he also believes Arsenal will bounce back from their UEFA Champions League loss against Olympiakos, even if their recent form has been spotty:

"

“We are happy but I think Arsenal can come back from a defeat. They have shown that a lot of times.”

He adds that “in a technical and tactical sense” Arsenal are arguably the best team in the league.

But...

“Nevertheless, they haven’t won so much, so you have to look for that improvement with that team.”

"

The Gunners have the chance to take the lead in the Premier League standings with a win at home on Sunday―providing a few other results go their way―but are coming off a dreadful performance against Olympiakos, which has cast doubt over their ability to progress from the Champions League group stages.

United won their midweek clash against Wolfsburg and lead the Premier League after three consecutive victories, but that didn't stop Van Gaal from praising the Gunners, to the amusement of Bleacher Report UK:

The Red Devils didn't pick up any new injuries, as Van Gaal told MUTV (h/t the club's official Twitter account), but the Dutch manager remains wary of the short time there is between matches.

He suggested there is only one way to deal with playing this many matches in such a short span, per Mackay: “The solution is recovery, recovery, recovery. That is why it’s so difficult to prepare for the match against Arsenal. We have to see how the evaluation is from my fatigue specialist.”

The Guardian's Daniel Harris would prefer Van Gaal to avoid the topic altogether:

Several players put in standout performances during the 2-1 win over Wolfsburg, including Chris Smalling, who scored the winner and was dominant in defence. As shared by the club's official Twitter account, Van Gaal noticed his great form as well:

Ashley Young also impressed, showing his versatility by putting in a strong shift at the right-back position. Per Van Gaal, his willingness to do whatever is asked of him is perhaps even more important than his ability to do so:

Returning to Sunday's match, Van Gaal was asked about Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's incredible longevity and whether he wished he could have stayed at a single club for such a long time. Per the club's official website, the Dutchman stated that's simply not who he is:

"

The boss insists it's not in his nature and feels lucky to have been given the chance to fulfil his ambitions of managing the Netherlands national team and in various European countries. "But I was at Ajax eight years in a row. That was a very long time for the position I had," he adds.

"

Sunday's clash will tell us a lot about both teams this early in the 2015-16 campaign, and for the Red Devils, it will be their first match against a true title contender. Van Gaal's troops have looked much improved since the 2-1 loss at the hands of Swansea City, and with Arsenal still recovering from the embarrassing loss against Olympiakos, it could be the perfect time to strike.

A win at the Emirates would give the side a huge boost going into a difficult part of the schedule, with a difficult trip to Everton followed by vital matches against CSKA Moscow and rivals Manchester City. 

Follow @ReverschPass