Erik ten Hag is jealous of Arsenal — Chris Sutton blasts

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has been criticized for his recent comments about Premier League leaders Arsenal, with some branding him “jealous” of the Gunners’ success this season.

Arsenal are currently eight points clear of closest rivals Manchester City at the top of the table, with United trailing behind in third place, 19 points behind the league leaders, although they have played two games less.

Speaking earlier this month, Erik ten Hag lamented his own team’s injury struggles and claimed that Arsenal have had their squad “totally available” this season.

“I think we have only had one game when we have had the full squad available,” said Ten Hag. “Every other time in the season we have had a player suspended, injured or ill.”

He added: “Of course you see Arsenal and they almost have a full squad available all the time.”

Ten Hag’s comments have raised eyebrows, with Arsenal suffering their fair share of injuries this season. Striker Gabriel Jesus, for example, was ruled out for several months after suffering a serious knee injury while playing for Brazil in the World Cup.

William Saliba, Thomas Partey, and Kieran Tierney are all injury doubts for Arsenal’s upcoming Premier League match against Leeds, while Eddie Nketiah is expected to miss the game as he continues his recovery from an ankle problem. Mohamed Elneny and Takehiro Tomiyasu have been ruled out for the rest of the campaign with long-term knee injuries.

Former Blackburn, Norwich, and Celtic striker Chris Sutton has criticized Ten Hag’s comments about Arsenal, suggesting that the United manager is “jealous” of the Gunners’ success this season.

“I don’t think that you can say Arsenal have been lucky with injuries,” said Sutton.

“The players have obviously been doing the right things and working hard. They’ll be doing stuff pre-training to make sure they’re conditioned and ready to play. And then warming down correctly after games.

“That’s not to say Manchester United players aren’t doing the same things, but in some seasons you get more injuries than other seasons. Ten Hag has done well, but he’s probably jealous to be looking and seeing Arsenal just miles ahead of them at the minute.”

As the Premier League season approaches its climax, tensions between rival clubs and their managers are likely to continue to rise, with every point and every injury potentially having a huge impact on the final outcome.