Before the international break, Arteta’s Arsenal side defeated Manchester City in the league for the first time since 2015.
To our detractors, the 1-0 victory was just another win. However, for some of us Gooners, it was the perfect statement that we are eager to be the real deal, given that not long ago we also beat them in the Community Shield.
Manchester City has been the real deal in the Premier League for years; Liverpool tried to push them but could only prevent them from winning the league once in the 2019–20 season. Last season, after years of growth under Arteta, we replaced Liverpool as Manchester City’s main title rivals. We gave the Cityzens a run for the money, but we failed to beat them to the Premier League title, losing our way towards the end of the season.
Notably, City beat us home and away last season; they picked 6 points from us, which was a major blow for our title charge. We’ve already changed the narrative this season by beating them at home, and there is no reason why we can’t be confident that we’ll pick a point, if not three, at the Etihad next year.
Man City, after our last two games against them, should now view us differently, and Mikel Arteta recently told the Men in Blazers podcast that Guardiola revealed to him that his team is fantastic, adding, “I talked with him after the game. It’s always like this; it’s very tense; it’s very emotional; a lot is going on in that moment, but after that, the relationship remains intact,” he told the ‘Men in Blazers‘ podcast.
“I lost much more than I won against him, but to be fair, in the last two games when we won the Community Shield and now in the league, the feeling is totally different. He told me, Congratulations! You guys are a terrific team, and let’s move on’.”
Hopefully, Guardiola’s words will serve as encouragement for Arteta and the boys to continue striving for excellence and becoming the team to talk about not only in the Premier League but also all over Europe.
Darren N
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