The soccer world will be looking forward to the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Sunday: ManCity can reignite the Premier League title race with a win against Arsenal FC. Coach Pep Guardiola is aware of the importance of the game.
About four weeks ago, Manchester City impressively showed how to beat Arsenal FC in a big game in the League Cup final. The Citizens dominated the 2-0 win at Wembley, particularly after the break, but also benefited from a serious blunder by Arsenal’s cup keeper Kepa. Nevertheless, Pep Guardiola’s team, which also featured numerous top stars, showed that the Gunners are beatable.
The team of Guardiola’s former pupil Mikel Arteta has also been eliminated from the FA Cup since then. Against second division side Southampton (1:2). In the league, the north Londoners also lost 2-1 to Bournemouth, meaning that the championship race appears to be wide open again with six games to go. City still have seven games to play and are currently six points behind, meaning they have a great chance to create excitement again in Sunday’s direct clash.
ManCity provided the blueprint at Wembley
For Guardiola, however, this also means: “If we lose, it’s over.” Nevertheless, the Catalan also knows that his team – who last lost a home game against Arsenal in the league in January 2015 (0:2) – already provided a blueprint at Wembley in March on how to put pressure on the league leaders. “If we play like we did in the second half for 95 minutes and they play like they did in the second half, we’ll win. But maybe not, because soccer is unpredictable.”
But he does not believe that Arsenal will play like they did in the second 45 minutes of the League Cup final: “I know Mikel. They will change things around and we have to prepare for that. At the end of the day, it’s simple. It depends on how your players stand up to the opponent in one-on-one situations and how they do it.” However, the recipe against the Gunners will not be quite so easy: “They are strong in all areas. The tackles, the physical presence. They’re really good on second balls and when they defend deep, their transition game is good – it’s one of the very best. They are so aggressive and dangerous in set-piece situations – that’s why they are where they are.”
“Proud” of his own team, however, “that we’re still there and challenging them.” To beat the Gunners at home in the Etihad Stadium, however, they would have to do “an almost perfect job”. In order to do that, they need confidence in their own strength, which City showed in parts four weeks ago – when they ran the ball and the opposition and were a whole class better: “If you could buy confidence in the supermarket, we’d buy it straight away. It’s one of the most important aspects,” said Guardiola, who can once again plan with Nico O’Reilly, who was recently substituted against Chelsea with an injury.
In the League Cup, the left-back paved the way to the title with his brace in the final. Ankle injury victim Ruben Dias is still missing and is unlikely to feature again in April. The whole soccer world will be watching with interest to see how City cope with the renewed absence of their defensive boss. After all, one thing is clear: “The reality is that there are still seven games to play in the Premier League, and this is the crucial moment.”