Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has rejected the idea that Wednesday night’s clash with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium will decide the Premier League title.
The Gunners have led the league for most of the season, having established themselves as serious title contenders for the first time since the 2007/08 campaign. But three successive draws against Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton have opened the door for City.
Arsenal had led 2-0 against both Liverpool and West Ham, before allowing their opponents back into those games. A 3-3 tie with Southampton last Friday was then the result of a late Gunners comeback after initially unthinkably going 3-1 down at home against the league’s bottom club.
With City taking 25 points from the last 27 on offer, a run which has included a win over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in February, the previously sizeable gap between the top two has shrunk.
Ahead of Wednesday night, it stands at five points, while City have two games in hand. Should Guardiola’s side win this week’s huge clash, they would pull just two points behind Arsenal with those games in hand still to play. But if Arsenal win, the gap would instead grow to eight points, rendering City’s additional games not enough to jump ahead.
It is easy to understand why this week’s game, at such a late stage of the season, has been billed by many as a title decider. But Arteta is having none of it.
“We knew we had to go to Etihad, it will be difficult, but will it decide the season? No,” the Arsenal boss said on Tuesday afternoon.
“The belief is there, I look at how the players reacted after Southampton, they defend each other in every moment. We really want it and we are again going to show it tomorrow night. But it has to be perfect because that is what is demanded at this time in the season.”
Guardiola gave a similar kind of assessment in his own press conference, although still placed massive significance on the outcome of the fixture.
“It is really important, but not decisive because there are many games to play for both sides. We can’t deny how important it is,” the City boss commented.
“Arsenal have always had incredible details about keeping the ball; the players they select for the club have big quality and skills. Mikel has brought them to a different level; they are so competitive and aggressive.”
SOURCE: 90MINS
