Mason Mount has welcomed the “challenge”
that Manchester United's first Premier League fixture of the season against Arsenal will bring.
In an in-depth interview for the latest edition of Inside United, now available to buy, the 26-year-old touched on our opening-day opponents, lifted the lid on training and pre-season, and provided his thoughts on the new players United have signed this summer.
Mount's career with the Reds to date is one that has been unduly interrupted by injury, but the creative midfielder finished the season strong, making 14 consecutive appearances at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
Looking ahead to the new term, our no.7 is hoping to extend that run and feels the Gunners' visit offers the perfect opportunity.
“I think for us it’s so important to start well, to start quick, to start with that intensity,”
Mount told Inside United. “We’re a team that definitely can push with that and win games with that intensity and the way we want to press, the way we want to move the ball and dominate the ball, and create chances.
”That's the way the manager wants to play, so it's exciting for us to see what we're doing in training and put that into the games.
“I think to start with that game [against Arsenal] is going to be massive for us, to start on the front foot and really push forward.”
Mikel Arteta's side certainly won't be the easiest opponents we'll face this season, but the English midfielder believes that sets things up nicely to build momentum and put last season behind us.
Mount continued: “Every game that we'll be playing will have that kind of focus to be able to perform and really kick on, and put what was wrong right this season coming.
”Every game is going to be a massive focus to keep that performance level really high and the details really high.
“To start off with that game, it doesn't get much better than that.”
The 26-year-old hopes to use the Arsenal game as a platform to kick on, taking energy from critics last season and turning it into a positive on the other side of the summer break.
“It's a clean slate and we're so excited to be able to have that opportunity,”
Mount admitted.
“A lot of people have said a lot of stuff about us as a group, and we ball that up and we use that energy in the best way we can, and that's on the football pitch against other teams, and really competing and fighting for those three points.”
He feels the Reds not only owe it to themselves and their ability but, more importantly, the supporters that stuck with the squad through thick and thin last season.
“The whole of last season they were there with us throughout every single game supporting us, even though it was very, very difficult,” he said of our faithful fans. “We need to repay them for that and we can only do that with performances on the pitch.”
Arteta will bring with him new firepower in the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke, adding to an already talented squad, but United have done plenty of shopping of our own.
Combine those new additions with the desire of the squad to atone for last season and Mount is left fearing no opponent.
“Last season wasn't the standard that we know we can all be at and perform at, and as players you want to put it right,”
he recognised. “So there's just that hunger there, and it's just the anticipation of wanting to go and waiting for that first opportunity, that first game.
”It's going to be a high-intensity game, that first game of the season, but as I said it's that hunger to really perform and to put it right as a group and all be together in that.“
Read the full interview with Mount in September's edition of Inside United – available to buy now.