The final day of the Premier League season is still over three months away but Arsenal‘s meeting with Manchester City this midweek looks set to have a pivotal say on whether the trophy is transported south to London for the first time since 2017 or remains in the north.
Before a ball was kicked in August, one north London club was tipped as an outside challenger for the title, and it wasn’t the Gunners. Over the past three seasons, Arsenal recorded Premier League finishes of eighth, eighth and fifth, dramatically relinquishing a top four spot in front of Prime Video‘s cameras last season. This match will also be shown on Prime Video, rather than Sky Sports or BT Sport, after being rescheduled to accommodate Arsenal’s Europa League tie with PSV in October.
Going one better and achieving an elusive Champions League return was generally regarded as Arsenal’s ceiling this season. They have emphatically smashed through that already; now the question is not whether Arsenal will finish in the top four but if they can go all the way and win their first league title since 2004 and the glory days of Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles.
A few weeks ago, Arsenal had one hand gripped firmly on the Premier League trophy. A thrilling 3-2 victory over Manchester United inside a throbbing Emirates Stadium took them to 50 points at the halfway stage of the campaign, five more than they managed back in 2004. Only four teams have reached the half-century mark of points by the midway point of a Premier League and only Liverpool in 2018-19 ultimately fell short. To Guardiola’s City, no less.
Captain Martin Odegaard still has his fingertips on it, but the grip has loosened following a shock 1-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park which was followed by a 1-1 draw at home to Brentford. From looking as though they might run away with the title, Arsenal will drop down to second if City beat them on Wednesday, albeit with the safety net of a game in hand to play in due course.
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Nevertheless, a 3-1 win over Aston Villa on Sunday provided some much-needed relief after a difficult week which began with a now customary defeat to Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and ended with Guardiola taking a bizarre potshot at Steven Gerrard as he defended his employers against the Premier League’s raft of charges over alleged financial irregularities. Guardiola has since apologised to the former Liverpool skipper, saying that he is “ashamed” of his comments about Gerrard’s infamous slip during the 2013-14 title run.
“I apologise to Steven Gerrard for my unnecessary and stupid comments I said the last time about him,” Guardiola said on Tuesday. “He knows how I admire him and his career for what he has done for this country I am living in.
“I am ashamed of myself for what I said because he doesn’t deserve it. I truly believe my comments I said in my previous conference that I defend my club but I didn’t represent my club well by putting his name in this stupid comment.”
How to watch Arsenal vs Man City
- Date: Wednesday 15 February
- Kick-off: 7.30pm [BST]
- Where? Emirates Stadium
- How to watch: Stream on Amazon Prime, membership is £8.99 a month or £95 for the year
Guardiola was less vocal about Erling Haaland’s chances of starting after the Norwegian was substituted at half-time on Sunday following a meaty collision with Emi Martinez. Haaland was able to continue for almost half an hour after that blow and there is a suspicion that his second half absence was merely a precaution. And perhaps an opportunity for Guardiola to engage in some mind games with his former apprentice.
“We train this afternoon. Right now I don’t know,” Guardiola said. “Yesterday was about recovery from Aston Villa. That’s all.” Cryptic.
Arteta, meanwhile, is expected to have the same squad available as he did last weekend, with Gabriel Jesus, Emile Smith Rowe, Reiss Nelson and Mohamed Elneny, the only absentees. Arteta has made fewer changes to his starting line-up than any other Premier League manager this season, but has a decision to make in attack with Gabriel Martinelli’s form flatlining and Leandro Trossard scoring off the bench against the Bees.
While there is still much football to be played, including the corresponding fixture at the Etihad on 26 April, both sides will be acutely aware that this encounter could provide a psychological boost to themselves and a blow to their opponents. An Arsenal win would re-open their six-point advantage at the top which was narrowed last weekend, while three points for City would move them level and increase the pressure on Arteta’s youthful squad.
Let the battle commence.
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