I’m acutely aware that a draw on Wednesday night would mean our destiny is not in our own hands. Yet if you offered me a point right now, I would bite your hands off for it.
That’s because I respect the standards Pep Guardiola has set in English Football and realise the size of the task we face.
With minutes to go at Anfield, this was a fixture we could afford to lose and still have our own fate under our control.
A point at the London Stadium made bookies make Man City favourites for the title for the first time in a while.
That’s because it looked like we would need to at least hold them at the Etihad to stay in the driving seat.
3-3 with Southampton now means if we don’t win in midweek, we need a favour elsewhere.
Quite simply our record in this fixture Is terrible. We haven’t beaten the Champions in the League in our last 14 attempts.
We normally at least concede 3 and they usually score in the opening 20 minutes.
Such is the dominance some Gooners celebrated our FA Cup exit as progress because we ‘only’ lost 1-0.
Some even saw their 3-1 win at the Emirates as positive!
On Friday, there was evidence all over the pitch that the pressure is too much for some of our players. Meanwhile City are playing with smiles on their faces.
They have a squad used to the demands of April and May; We have those who were crippled by the fear of failure 12 months ago over a race for top 4.
What separates the great from the good is who shows up at ‘squeaky bum time’.
One dressing room has experience of doing that every year, the other only a few leaders.
They’re are putting their annual winning sequence together, we are dropping silly points.
Just like Gary Neville warned would happen.
He says this is just another big game to City.
Occasions City like and get excited about.
Some pundits say that should be our attitude.
We should be buzzing to be in a game of this magnitude and relishing what the reward is.
For all the doubters, the fact is, with 6 fixtures left, the Gunners have their destiny in their own control.
They are 90 mins away from being so close to immortality, a night we could look back on as crucial in our history.
That should be our stance, but I fear it won’t be.
I do wonder how many of our players believe they can win at the Etihad?
I think there’s an inferior complex.
Take the emotion out of it, and it’s hard to make an argument why this won’t be our annual humiliation on the blue half of Manchester.
That’s why I think with 10 mins to go, if we are level, we take the result and get out of there with a point.
City then slipping up elsewhere is more realistic.
We can’t win the Championship this week, but we can lose it.
Not mathematically: Whatever happens we are top of the table Thursday morning.
Yet a scenario where City are two points behind us with two games in hand means they can afford to lose a game and still finish above us.
I’m very interested Gooners.
If you offered a draw now, would you take it?
Dan Smith
Mikel Arteta in positive mood ahead of Man City visit – “If you want to be champions, you have to win those matches. It’s as simple as that.”
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Yes 100%
No. I agree with Rooney. It’s too late to play very safe
Guardiola just said that Ake won’t be available. I think he will have to assign Bernardo Silva in the inverted LB position again
If that happens, Saka and White would have an easier job tonight
Didn’t Silva play left back when they beat us at the Emiraites ?
Yes. Man City beat us with Silva in that position, but we dominated the ball possession with our version of the same tactic by almost 60%
If we manage to do it again, we could frustate their supporters and increase our shooting chance
It was Ake. Had a fantastic game against Saka, and shut him right out.
Rodri was at left back, but it was Ake who most of the game was taking Saka on.
Not Rodri, Silva. Think I’ll go back to bed for a couple of hours, get up and start again,😱
Bless!
We were initially in a situation where a lose at Etihad will not pose much problems on our title challenge but we bottled it up.
Now, it either a win or nothing.
It’s win or bust I’m afraid. No one remembers 2nd place. We have to believe and cut out all the mistakes which have cost us dearly these last few games.
I would settle for anything but a thumping from city. Remember we conceded in under a minute against Southampton, the lowest ranked team in the EPL. There is also Bournemouth though we won that game they did score quite early. I just want our team to give it a real go, a respectable score line. A draw would be great and a win would send me over the moon.
A few bad mistakes – rolling over before City in the Cup, not taking Sporting seriously. I can accept we were narrowly beaten in the League at the Emirates but my point this: any team fighting for top honours should never underestimate the opposition ( “its just the Europa , it doesn’t matter” ) because losing games like these has a knock on effect which comes calling further down the line. Instead of thinking we can run City close, which is what we should be thinking, have two defeats hanging over us and the feeling of dread that goes with it. Of course I’d be happy with a draw because I certainly don’t see us winning, but even that is a bridge too far. Fingers crossed.
We should go to the Etihad to win, sitting back and inviting pressure is the easiest way to get humiliated there. City don’t like teams who get in their face and go blow to blow. But if the score is level with 10-20 mins to go, Arteta should definitely avoid going all out attack. While a draw is not good enough since it keeps City in control of the title race, we would still be only 1 pt behind if City win their games in hand. Lose and it’s game over unless City blows it.
Right now its:
Arsenal 75
MCity 70 with 2 games so potentially 76
Best case scenario We win then its
Arsenal 78
MCity 76
Draw and its
Arsenal 76
Mcity potentially 77 so still in the race only 1 slip up from city
Lose and its
Arsenal 75
Mcity 79 with only 5 matches left pretty much no chance unless City drop it by focusing too much on the CL.
For Dan Smith
Absolutely take a point right now. Good end to a disappointing Apr. If we have a good May, we can take the title to the wire. Last game we are at home to Wolves and they are away to Brentford who have already beaten them this season. Let us see who loses their nerve.
Need a win now. Perhaps a draw if we didn’t bottle the last 3 matches. However 3 points is a must as our recent performances have made the mountain much steeper and harder to climb.
How many times have we seen this fixture? A win at City is a pipe dream. Take the draw and say goodbye to a disappointing month. 1 point behind we can recover, but 4 points is season over.
This game need only calming down,cool , quality that no loose ball.Confidance , smart on the ball work,Any chance should be a score and score.We should defend together
Yesterday I came across this.some fans might be interested in it.the numbers if minutes for players from both City and Arsenal(every player included has played a minimum of 8 PL).
Player Mins. Started %
Aaron Ramsdale 2,880
2,8802,880
100.0%
100.0%100.0%
Gabriel 2,876
2,8762,876
100.0%
100.0%100.0%
Bukayo Saka 2,710
2,7102,710
96.9%
96.9%96.9%
Ederson 2,700
2,7002,700
100.0%
100.0%100.0%
Martin Odegaard 2,660
2,6602,660
96.9%
96.9%96.9%
Gabriel Martinelli 2,614
2,6142,614
96.9%
96.9%96.9%
Granit Xhaka 2,566
2,5662,566
93.8%
93.8%93.8%
Ben White 2,527
2,5272,527
93.8%
93.8%93.8%
Rodri 2,460
2,4602,460
96.7%
96.7%96.7%
William Saliba 2,416
2,4162,416
84.4%
84.4%
Player Mins. Started %
Erling Haaland 2,232
2,2322,232
90.0%
90.0%90.0%
Kevin De Bruyne 2,186
2,1862,186
83.3%
83.3%83.3%
Thomas Partey 2,171
2,1712,171
78.1%
78.1%78.1%
Ilkay Gundogan 1,938
1,9381,938
73.3%
73.3%73.3%
Bernardo Silva 1,916
1,9161,916
70.0%
70.0%70.0%
Oleksandr Zinchenko 1,908
1,9081,908
71.9%
71.9%71.9%
Manuel Akanji 1,856
1,8561,856
63.3%
63.3%63.3%
Jack Grealish 1,784
1,7841,784
66.7%
66.7%66.7%
Nathan Ake 1,683
1,6831,683
63.3%
63.3%63.3%
Rúben Dias 1,638
1,6381,638
60.0%. it shows the difference in the rotation.
A draw means nothing for us in our current situation. It’s a must win for us. City go into the game, very relaxed.
Agree with others here. A draw is no good, we need a win. First, a draw means City will overtake us when they win their games in hand. Yes, ‘when’. Which takes us to point two. Second, City have a much easier run in than we do. In terms of form, Brighton are our best hope of them dropping points. We need to get that run in off to bad start. Third, a win would set us up nicely for tough games against Chelsea (sadly though, poch looks like taking over – and likes playing us) and more so against Newcastle.
What use is a draw and asking for a draw, shows a weak mentality!!!!!!
We do have a weak mentality though