Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim expects a rollercoaster season with the club juggling difficult Premier League and Europa League campaigns, but he was relieved to get back to winning ways ahead of hosting Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
United got their first league win in five matches when they beat bottom side Southampton 3-1 on Thursday thanks to a hat-trick by Amad Diallo and they now face a busy period with three matches in eight days.
"I think it's going to be hard until the end of the season. It’s going to be a little bit of that rollercoaster," Amorim told reporters on Friday.
"It’s harder to prepare for the game when we lose. When we win, we can manage everything, expectations, a bad mood for some players. So we will prepare for the game in the same ways. I am just focused on the next game."
The Portuguese, who took charge in November, said 12th-placed United are yet to get their attack in order, having failed to score in three of their last five league matches.
"I think this is something that you can see from the past and we were, in the past, a team of transition. And we still are," he added.
"You can feel it, to create chances in the final third, we struggle. We struggle a lot... so it is something that we have to change. To change, we need training. So to have time to change, we also need to win games and we have tried to do that."
Chelsea's Palmer a doubt for Wolves game, Maresca says
Chelsea's leading scorer Cole Palmer is a doubt for Monday's Premier League clash at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers, manager Enzo Maresca said on Friday.
Palmer, who has struck 14 times in the league this season, fell awkwardly after a challenge during Tuesday's 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, although the England international played the rest of the match.
"They kicked him so he didn't train today, we don't know if he will train tomorrow," Maresca told reporters.
"Cole, Levi (Colwill), Romeo (Lavia) were not in the session today. We have three or four players who are a doubt for Monday's game because in the last game they picked up some problems.
"We rely on Cole because he is a big player. We prefer to play with Cole but in case he has an injury or a problem, then we will find a solution."
Fifth-placed Chelsea, who are winless in the last five matches, won 6-2 at Wolves in August, but Maresca said it would be unwise to assume Monday's match would go the same way, with new manager Vitor Pereira taking over at the 17th-placed side last month.
"They changed managers, so it is not the same idea. I don't think the last game there can be important. It is a new game, a new manager, a different way to attack and defend. Hopefully we can be ready and get the three points," Maresca added.
Arsenal's Arteta wary of old foe Villa
Losing to Aston Villa twice played a major role in Arsenal falling short in last season's Premier League title race, and manager Mikel Arteta does not want to take Unai Emery's side for granted despite a win at Villa Park in August.
Seventh-placed Villa are on a three-match winning streak in all competitions as Arsenal, second in the league, host them on Saturday in a bid to close in on leaders Liverpool.
"They are a good side, that's why they beat us last season," Arteta told reporters on Friday.
"We know the difficulty of the team that they are, that’s why they are performing so well. Great players, and a great coach."
Arteta said he was happy that Arsenal have reduced their gap with Liverpool after Wednesday's 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, with the leaders being held to a 1-1 draw by Nottingham Forest on the same day.
However, Arsenal still trail Liverpool, who have a game in hand, by four points.
"We're playing to win and that’s exactly where we want to be. The pressure comes from within. You have to thrive to be the best that you possibly can be," Arteta said.
The manager said signing a striker in January would boost his side but refused to say whether his club was closing on any particular player.
"We are trying, actively, to find the best possible solution but we'll have to wait and see what we can do," the Spaniard added.
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