Hull City manager Sergej Jakirović has praised Arsenal’s impressive football and midfield quality ahead of his team’s difficult Premier League encounter against Mikel Arteta’s side at the Emirates Stadium.
The Hull City manager believes Arsenal are currently among the best teams in European football, placing them alongside Paris Saint-Germain when discussing the quality of their performances.
His comments will encourage Arsenal supporters, particularly because they highlight the technical quality, movement and combinations that have made the Gunners difficult opponents this season.
Arsenal are preparing to welcome Hull City on Saturday, November 7, following their impressive 2-1 Champions League victory over Slavia Prague. The London club have continued to demonstrate their ability to control matches through intelligent passing, movement and strong performances in midfield.
Speaking ahead of the encounter, Jakirović admitted that facing Arteta’s team would be an extremely demanding challenge.
“I think, currently, they are playing maybe the best football, together with Paris Saint-Germain,” the Hull manager said.
He also explained that Arsenal possess impressive attacking mechanisms and are capable of creating spaces through their movement and combinations.
“They have, in open play, some mechanisms there but they are the best team in the league with their combinations,” Jakirović added.
Although the Hull manager did not single out individual Arsenal midfielders, his assessment highlights the importance of the team’s midfield structure.
Declan Rice has become one of the most influential players in Arteta’s squad. The England international combines defensive strength with excellent passing ability and an impressive understanding of when to move forward.
His ability to recover possession, break opposition attacks and carry the ball into dangerous areas makes him a valuable presence in the middle of the pitch.
Martin Ødegaard also plays an important role in Arsenal’s midfield. The Norwegian captain is responsible for creating opportunities, connecting different areas of the pitch and helping the team maintain attacking pressure.
His vision and passing ability allow Arsenal to find spaces between opposition defensive lines.
Bruno Guimarães provides another dimension through his technical quality, ball progression and ability to control possession. His presence gives Arteta additional tactical options when selecting his midfield combination.
Together, these qualities help Arsenal dominate possession and create opportunities against teams that prefer to defend deep.
However, Jakirović is not travelling to London simply to admire Arsenal. The Hull manager has challenged his players to approach the match with confidence and aggression.
He explained that his team would attempt to close down spaces and prevent Arsenal from controlling the game too comfortably.
“We will be aggressive, front-footed, try to close those gaps,” he said.
That approach could make the midfield battle particularly important. Hull will need to prevent Rice, Ødegaard and their teammates from receiving the ball comfortably if they want to produce a positive result.
Hull midfielder Tim Iroegbunam has also warned his teammates against allowing Arsenal too much time and space in possession. He believes a passive performance could leave his side vulnerable against Arteta’s attacking quality.
For Arsenal, the objective will be to maintain their impressive form and use their technical superiority to control the encounter.
The Gunners will also understand that Hull could pose problems if they are allowed to launch dangerous counterattacks.
Jakirović’s praise demonstrates the respect Arsenal have earned through their performances, but the Hull manager will hope his players can turn that respect into motivation.
Saturday’s meeting promises to be an interesting test of Arsenal’s midfield dominance and Hull City’s ability to compete against one of the Premier League’s strongest teams.
