Arsenal travel to Manchester City on Wednesday as the Premier League looks to return to action, and Ian Wright has warned our players not to get drawn in by the new surroundings.
The English top division is set to kickstart once again this week, with two fixtures scheduled in midweek before a full set of fixtures the following weekend.
We will of course be taking on the Citizens at the Etihad, with all matches for the foreseeable future set to be staged behind closed doors, and Wrighty has warned us not to get distracted or we will get punished.
Ian Wright told Premier League Productions: ‘When players are playing in an atmosphere where you don’t feel the intense pressure of having to appease the fans, they relax even more.
‘Arsenal have to go there and really put them under pressure. They have to let Man City know that even though there’s no fans they are really going to make this difficult for them.
‘If you sit off teams and switch off against players like De Bruyne and Aguero, you’re going to get punished.
‘You have to ignore the lack of atmosphere and deal with the players for what they are and how good they are and what they are capable of doing.’
Mikel Arteta will be sure to have his team fired up for the encounter, as he looks to take on his former boss Pep Guardiola, as well as the fact that at the start of this season he was their assistant-manager.
Is there any doubt that Arteta will have the team ready for the new surroundings? Will the first few matches be tough for the players to keep their concentration?
Patrick
