Arteta Warns Arsenal Against Underestimating Hull City

November 6, 2026 Quadri Olaitan

The Arsenal manager praises Hull’s promotion campaign and insists the Premier League champions must maintain their intensity when both sides meet at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has warned his players against underestimating newly promoted Hull City ahead of their Premier League meeting at the Emirates Stadium in London on Saturday, November 7, 2026, insisting that the defending champions must deliver a strong performance to secure victory before the international break.

Also read: Arteta Urges Arsenal to End 14-Year Anfield Wait

Arteta, speaking during his pre-match press conference on Friday, November 6, acknowledged Hull’s impressive progress under manager Sergej Jakirovic, praising the club’s promotion campaign and ability to compete against established Premier League opponents.

The Arsenal manager said Hull had earned their place in the top flight through their performances and deserved to be treated with respect despite their recent difficulties.

“It’s been an incredible journey. I think what Sergej and the club have done from last year, getting promoted and then performing in some of the difficult games that they’ve been through, the way they have competed and earned the right to get results, is really impressive,” Arteta said.

He added that Arsenal had already discussed Hull’s strengths and the challenges they could pose, stressing that his players needed to understand what would be required to win.

“We’ve been discussing that with the boys, what to expect from them tomorrow and to make sure we are clear about what we have to do to beat them,” he said.

“Tomorrow is the main focus of everything we’ve done. We need to go, be better than Hull and beat them.”

Hull, managed by Jakirovic, have experienced a difficult spell since their return to the Premier League, going several matches without a victory.

However, their five draws in their opening nine league fixtures demonstrate their ability to remain competitive against different opponents.

The Tigers have collected 11 points from nine matches, placing them 11th in the standings ahead of Saturday’s encounter.

Arsenal, meanwhile, enter the fixture as league leaders with 24 points from nine matches, having recorded eight victories and one defeat.

The Gunners have also enjoyed an encouraging run of results, including a 1-0 Premier League victory over Liverpool at Anfield on November 1 and a 2-1 Champions League win against Slavia Prague on November 4.

Arteta said his players had responded well to a demanding opening period of the season, which involved difficult opponents and considerable travelling across domestic and European competitions.

The Spaniard acknowledged the physical and scheduling challenges but maintained that Arsenal had managed their workload effectively.

“We have to navigate with the schedule, and I think we’ve done it really, really well so far because we’ve had really tough opponents and a lot of difficult travel to do.

The team has responded really well,” he said.

The Arsenal manager also highlighted the importance of securing another victory before the November international break, particularly with a demanding period of fixtures approaching.

“We want to attack the game tomorrow right from the off. We know the momentum that we have right now, and we need to increase that momentum, especially going into the international break because we know what’s coming after November and December,” he added.

Saturday’s meeting will be Arsenal’s final fixture before the international break, after which the Gunners are scheduled to travel to face Newcastle United.

Arteta also discussed the importance of maintaining consistency across all areas of the pitch, arguing that defending the Premier League title would require sustained commitment from every member of the squad.

He explained that success depended not only on attacking quality but also on defensive organisation, set-piece responsibilities and the ability to respond effectively during transitions.

“It does matter, everything matters. You are able to win because of the compromise and commitment of every single player,” Arteta said.

“The same with attack responsibility, anything related to set-pieces, transitions, everything as a whole.

“You need to sustain an incredible level across 10 months and to do that, you need to have everything. Otherwise, you won’t be able to do it.”

The manager’s comments reflect the demanding nature of a title defence, particularly as Arsenal seek to maintain their early advantage over their closest challengers.

The fixture also presents an opportunity for the Gunners to strengthen their position at the top of the table before the international break, while Hull will be hoping to end their winless run and claim a significant result against the reigning champions.