ARSENAL'S RAYA WARNS TEAMMATES OF 'IN-FORM' GYÖKERES' QUALITY

David Raya has warned his Arsenal teammates that Sporting CP forward Viktor Gyökeres is a "top player in form" as Mikel Arteta urged his strikers to find their ruthless streak to keep their Champions League hopes on track.

Gyökeres has become one of Europe's most prolific forwards after netting 24 goals in 17 games this season, attracting interest from a host of Premier League clubs including Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and the Gunners.

Sporting host Arsenal at Estadio Jose Alvalade on Tuesday and Arsenal goalkeeper Raya said of Gyökeres: "We know his strengths, how he runs a lot in behind and scores a lot in one v. one and he is a top player in form.

"We are going to try and keep him very, very quiet. Don't give him any chances. We have to step up defensively. Hopefully we can do a great job and keep a clean sheet."

Arteta refused to be drawn on Gyökeres specifically, choosing instead to focus on Sporting's collective threat, having beaten Manchester City 4-1 in Ruben Amorim's final Champions League match before becoming United boss.

Gyökeres scored a hat trick that night and since joining Sporting from Coventry in 2022, he has scored 69 goals in 67 games across all competitions.

Asked how good the Sweden international is and how Arsenal can stop him, Arteta chose to focus on Sporting's remarkable unbeaten 19-game run this season, including 17 victories.

Viktor Gyökeres scored a hat trick for Sporting against Man City in his last Champions League game. Gualter Fatia/Getty Images

"I would like to talk about the team, about the coaches and how phenomenal they have been," said Arteta. "The run they are in is incredible. That tells you that it is not only the quality, the setup, the ambition, it is something about the team energy that they have. That is a great challenge that we have tomorrow, to come here and make a statement and show we are capable against this kind of opponent. Be ourselves and win the game."

Pushed further on Gyökeres, Arteta replied: "I understand the question, but they have a lot of individual qualities. That's why they can win games in various ways. And yes, in the specific position they have great players."

Arsenal have won just one of their last eight away games in Europe and have not scored in their last four, a run dating back to last December's 1-1 draw against PSV Eindhoven when the Gunners had already booked their spot in the knockout rounds.

"Not all the games have been the same. It's true that within those games there were games that were when we had already qualified," Arteta said. "Something that is very true is that we have to improve those results and we have to find ways to understand what has been missing. Sometimes it's been performance, sometimes it's been other aspects. That's the next step we have to make as a team.

"I wouldn't say that this is the most important thing but the efficiency that we have shown inside the box at this level with the chances that we are normally able to generate in the Champions League level, is not at the level required to win consistently.

"I always say the Champions League is about boxes, small margins and details. You have to get all of those right to win, especially away from home."

Sporting are second in the Champions League table, two points behind first-place Liverpool, while Arsenal sit in 12th on seven points after four matches.

- James Olley, Senior Writer, ESPN FC

RÚBEN AMORIM TO BE HIRED AS MAN UNITED HEAD COACH - SOURCES

Getty 

Rúben Amorim is set to take charge of Manchester United during the November international break, sources confirmed to ESPN.

United and the Portuguese champions Sporting CP have made significant progress on an agreement for the departure of their head coach to the Premier League club.

Amorim is set to succeed Erik ten Hag, who was sacked on Monday, as head coach at Old Trafford and would be the sixth permanent appointment in the role since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013.

Sources told ESPN that United have triggered the former Braga coach's €10 million ($10.87m) release clause at Sporting, and the English club will also pay compensation to enable a number of Amorim's backroom staff to join him at Old Trafford.

But with the terms of Amorim's contract at Sporting including a 30-day notice period, sources have told ESPN that United will be forced to wait until mid-November for Amorim to formally take charge of the team following Sporting's league game away to Braga on Nov. 10.

As a consequence, Amorim will also take charge of Sporting's home game against Estrela on Friday and next Tuesday's Champions League clash against Manchester City, which will be his final home game at Estadio Jose Alvalade.

ESPN sources said that Ruud van Nistelrooy, who guided United to a 5-2 Carabao Cup fourth round win against Leicester City in his first game as interim head coach on Wednesday, will take charge of the team's next three games -- all at Old Trafford -- against Chelsea, PAOK Thessaloniki and Leicester again before handing over the reins to Amorim.

Amorim's first game in charge will be the Premier League fixture against Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Nov 24, sources told ESPN.

United are 14th in the Premier League having won just three of their opening nine games.

Meanwhile, Amorim has said he will address his future after Sporting's game against Estrela Amadora on Friday.

"I know you [journalists] made the journey to talk about this and it's normal. At the end of [Friday's] game I will talk about this and everything will become clearer," he told a news conference on Thursday.

"I want the players' and my focus to be on the game. The focus is on tomorrow's game and then I will talk."

When asked why negotiations are taking longer, Amorim said: "It's a negotiation between two clubs, which is not easy. We will have clarification after the game. Then, the decision will be known."

The 39-year-old has spent his entire coaching career in Portugal and hinted at his desire to step out of his comfort zone.

"All coaches need it [to leave their comfort zone], I don't want to go into too much detail, but here we have very good conditions, six years ago we were at Casa Pia and we paid to work, so it doesn't involve any of that, it's not monetary reasons," he said.

"When I talk about the staff, it's not just my assistants, I'm talking about everyone, physiotherapists, kit men, it's difficult to find these environments, it was one of the reasons I always wanted to stay.

"Regarding about stability, we'll talk tomorrow, but in everyone's life there are also phases in which we are doing well in life but something is missing, or we want to prove something and we have to take a step forward in things that will destabilize us, we don't know whether it will work or not, whether we are ruining what is so good we have. Everyone feels this and coaches go through the same thing."

Information from ESPN's Adriana Garcia contributed to this report.

- Mark Ogden, Senior Writer, ESPN FC