Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said his team are heading in the right direction to challenge at the top end of the table but warned the club must continue investing if they want to keep pace with their rivals.
United head to Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday looking to cut an eight-point deficit between the two teams. Ten Hag’s team had a chance to make that gap six points on Wednesday but fell to a late equaliser in their 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace.
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Ten Hag has been impressed by Arsenal and said there were signs of their ambition and strategy in their last meeting, a match United won 3-1 at Old Trafford back in September.
Ten Hag is not surprised by Arsenal’s form under Mikel Arteta but said the Premier League is so competitive that any one of seven teams can end up winning the competition such is the level of investment in the top flight.
“The Premier League in this moment develops into having six or seven teams who all can finally win the league because there are so many investments,” Ten Hag said. “When you have the right philosophy and strategy, many more clubs can compete for the top positions in the league.
“That’s a great challenge and if you want to be there, you have to be really good. You need that consistency; you need that good strategy — and consistency in the strategy — and you need hard work to compete. And if you want to win trophies, everything has to go in the right way.”
