Ipswich Town head coach Kieran McKenna is confident his side can cause an upset when they face off against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal on Friday.
The Tractor Boys travel to the Emirates in the first of two tough festive period fixtures before they host Chelsea three days later and the 38-year old has fancied his side’s chances against the Gunners.
“It’s important for this one, there’s no doubt about it”, he said.
“Arsenal are obviously an opponent that we have a lot of respect for and we know we won’t have the game all our way and there are going to be long periods of the game where we’re facing a strong opponent and they might have momentum in the game.
Ipswich Town are currently 19th on the table with just two league wins this season and come into the game on the back of one win in their last six league games.
“I think we need to show the right mentality, first of all, in the game. I think it’s a chance to show our togetherness, our spirit and our resilience”, he continued.
“For me, it’s about the mental characteristics that we’re going to have to show in this game. That’s what we spoke about this morning and that’s what we’ll try to show on Friday night.”
Ipswich Town have already pulled off an upset this season with a 2-1 win over Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur away from home, and the game against Arsenal will be a big test to their resilience.
“We’re going to have to show a real mental strength. Our organisation is going to have to be really, really good and we’re going to have to show bravery at different moments in the game as well to take them on in the way that we want to at different phases of the game.”
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
