Arsenal fans won’t need reminding of the last time Mikel Arteta faced Mauricio Pochettino

Sadly for Arsenal fans, they will not get the opportunity to face Michael Carrick's Manchester United this season. During a chaotic week at Carrington, Carrick was eventually sacked and replaced by Mauricio Pochettino.

The Argentine's first game in charge of the Red Devils will be at Anfield next Sunday, while his eighth fixtures will see him take on Arsenal at the Emirates the weekend before Christmas. Most would agree that Pochettino will make Man United stronger, they can't get much worse to be fair, making it frustrating that the Gunners have not had the chance to face them in their current guise.

Nevertheless, no Arsenal fan will forget the last time Pochettino last led out a side at the Emirates.

Back in April 2024, Arsenal demolished Pochettino's Chelsea 5-0, with Leandro Trossard opening the scoring inside four minutes, before both Benjamin White and then Kai Havertz bagged braces. Chelsea's media team refused to name Havertz, who very much enjoyed scoring against the club who had cast him aside less than a year earlier.

This remains Arsenal's biggest-ever victory over their fierce London rivals, coming in the midst of an 18 match Premier League sequence, in which Arteta's team won 16 and lost only once. January to May 2024 is, in our humble opinion, the best football the Gunners have played under Arteta, closely surpassing August to November 2022.

Overall, Pochettino has never beaten Arteta, the pair's other encounter in October 2023 producing a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge; the visitors fought back from two down to earn a point, thanks to late goals from Declan Rice and then Leandro Trossard.

More broadly, how strong is Pochettino's record against Arsenal?

Matches Played: 17.

Arsenal Wins: 5. Draws: 8. Mauricio Pochettino teams' Wins: 4.

Arsenal Goals Scored: 28. Mauricio Pochettino teams' Goals Scored: 22.

Despite all of the success he brought to Tottenham Hotspur, Pochettino did only win four of 13 North London derbies, his sole victory at the Emirates coming in the EFL Cup against Unai Emery's side. He also failed to defeat the Gunners while in charge of either Southampton or, as mentioned, Chelsea.

He twice defeated Arsène Wenger's side at the old White Hart Lane and then once at Wembley, albeit was thrice defeated by Wenger, once by Emery and then, as outlined, demolished the last time he went head-to-head with Arteta.

When Pochettino's Manchester United visit North London on Sunday 20 December, most inside the Emirates would love to see a repeat 5-0 scoreline, that is for sure.