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Relentless Citizens demand perfection from Gunners in title showdown

Arteta's Arsenal leave the door open for Guardiola's side

Mikel Arteta's Arsenal are being chased hard by Manchester City
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal are being chased hard by Manchester CityCredit: DeFodi Images

As Liverpool have learned the hard way, Manchester City are ruthless opponents in a title race.

They proved it again at the Emirates on Wednesday night as they capitalised on every individual mistake Arsenal made to win 3-1.

In the process they swung the pendulum back in their favour, returning to the top of the table on goal difference, with the Gunners still wielding a crucial game in hand on their rivals.

There are no hiding places in a title race against the team who have won four of the last five Premier League crowns.

Pep Guardiola’s side press and probe and look constantly for a weakness, passing and moving and shifting the defence around until a chink in the armour reveals itself.

For Arsenal, it was the channel between their left-back and left-sided centre-back.

Mikel Arteta’s men had held their own in what had been a feisty and competitive draw up until Guardiola ended his ‘Bernardo Silva at left-back’ experiment and reverted to the familiar 4-2-4 system that won his side the title last season, before they had the world's most deadly striker.

After the change, the Citizens scored the two decisive goals, both created in the space between Gabriel and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

That is the crux of the problem for Arsenal, and Liverpool before them - they have to be perfect versions of themselves to keep pace with the financial and tactical advantage that the Citizens have. 

Guardiola can afford to loan out Joao Cancelo with no replacement, while the left side of Arsenal’s defence has one off-night and City make them pay.

There are positives for the Gunners, however. Guardiola’s men are still chasing their coveted first Champions League crown and if that becomes a distinct possibility, they could take their eye off the ball domestically.

Secondly, Guardiola made the choice to thin out his squad in the summer and while they currently have the fewest injuries in the top flight, that can’t last forever with potentially 26 games still to go in their season if they reach the finals of the FA Cup and Champions League. 

Thirdly, there was little between the two sides on Wednesday night. Arsenal accumulated an expected goals tally of 1.6, Manchester City 1.7. The reigning champions were ruthless, the new kids on the block weren’t.

Arteta’s side have four games in a row now against teams in the bottom half to regain their composure and go again.

The return of Gabriel Jesus and Thomas Partey from injury will help but it looks likely that their season will be defined by a four-game spell in late April and early May.

Arsenal face Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle and Brighton in succession and are likely to need at least nine points from that run to have a shot at becoming champions for the first time since the Invincibles.

In the three games following the title showdown between the two at the Etihad, City take on Fulham, Leeds and Everton so it’s hard to see them relinquishing the upper hand if they gain it.

Of course, City’s noisy neighbours Manchester United may consider themselves back in with a shout after Arsenal’s defeat. They are currently five points behind both sides and 20-1 to win the title in Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge.

But to bridge that gap, the Red Devils would have to be all but perfect for the rest of the way while requiring slip-ups from the pair above them. At the rate the top two have gone this season, that looks unlikely.

The only team to beat Manchester City to the title in the last five years were Liverpool in 2019-20, and they won 25 of their first 26 games that season.

On Wednesday, Arsenal held their own for much of the match before the Citizens turned on the afterburners and pulled away. The Gunners will have to hope their season doesn’t follow the same pattern.


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Joe CaseyRacing Post Sport

Published on 16 February 2023inOpinion

Last updated 15:57, 16 February 2023

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