View from the Visitors: Alan Smith on City v Arsenal, Pep’s relentlessness, wonderful Rocastle and hero Bell | OneFootball

We spoke to Arsenal legend and now Sky Sports pundit Alan Smith about this weekend’s clash with the Gunners at the Etihad.

City v Arsenal – how much are you looking forward to it this weekend?

It’s a big, big game as they are these days.

My old club Arsenal’s win at Spurs in the North London derby set them up nicely for this one.

If they hadn’t won that, they would have gone into the City game with a bit less confidence with the gap in points already. City have obviously got four wins from four games so they're in great form once again.

But I think the performance last season at the Etihad, the fact they shut City out, will give Arsenal confidence. And, of course, the next step for them is to go there and get all three points which would really lay down a marker.

Perhaps it’s something they need to do to usurp City this season and finish above them. We will see.

Arsenal are in a good place, as City are too. We will see how it pans out.

City and Arsenal WERE the top two teams in the Premier League HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND – is that a taste of things to come again?

I do think City and Arsenal are the best two in the division, yes.

Even before Liverpool lost to Forest at the weekend, I thought they were not quite on City and Arsenal’s level so it does look like a two-horse race.

You can never say anything with any great certainty but at the moment that’s how it looks definitely.

What do make of City under Pep Guardiola?

It’s that relentless drive for success that most impresses me and his ability to put that onto his players.

They win the Treble and then the title four times in a row but that hunger never seems to go away.

I always remember Sir Alex Ferguson saying that was his main concern on the first day of pre-season – putting that hunger into his players. Pep certainly does that. Personally, he never loses it.

There is amazing quality within the group and if you can ally that with hunger, that appetite to keep on winning, you have a formidable outfit which is obviously what City are.

With Erling Haaland knocking them in for fun every week, how do you stop them?

As a former striker yourself, WE have to ask you about Erling Haaland?

We have had some great strikers play in this country and he’s up there with them.

What makes him stand out in my eyes is his physical stature – he’s big and he’s quick – you don’t often get that combination.

He's a defender’s nightmare. As a defender, you wouldn’t want to get involved in a tussle with him. You’ve got to be cute and not let him know where you are.

Those were the worse defenders for me when you couldn’t feel them. I always liked to feel where the defender was but if you don’t know, it’s much harder.

In terms of this weekend’s opponents Arsenal, they have two excellent centre-halves in Gabriel and Saliba so it will be very interesting how that one pans out.

Sunday’s game is at the Etihad but as a player, you’ll be more acquainted with Maine Road. What do you remember of our famous old stadium?

My last goal for Arsenal was at Maine Road. It was in a 2-1 win. I think it was fairly close-in from a ball from the right if I remember correctly.

It was always a battle there when I played.

But what not a lot of people know is that I used to support City when I was a very young boy with Franny Bell and then Colin Bell was my hero!

I’ll never forget the manager of our Sunday League side used to be the groundsman at Maine Road and he took us up to the stadium for a tour of the ground once.

We went all around and then we went into the treatment room and there was Colin Bell on the table. It gave me the shock of my life. I thought ‘there’s Colin Bell’ – I couldn’t believe it. He was such a marvellous player.

It was always great playing at Maine Road.

We have to ask you about David Rocastle, a man you played with and who was loved here and Arsenal, what do you remember of him?

He was one of my best mates. We’re still very close with his family.

When I first came to the club, he introduced himself. He was only a teenager at the time. But he was so mature for his years.

He was some player. I always said he had the skill of a Brazilian and the heart of a lion. You couldn’t intimidate him. I remember he had some great battles with Stuart Pearce down the years. He was a wonderful player.

It was just a knee injury that took that edge off him. The fluid never disappeared and it was always niggling him.

But I think it’s the measure of him that when he left Arsenal and went to play at City, Leeds, Chelsea, you ask any of the fans at those clubs and they will say he made a mark. They recognise his honesty and the way he always gave it 100%.

It's fantastic that all these clubs still honour him – and obviously Arsenal fans still sing his name.

Brian Marwood, a man you played with at Arsenal is at City in the role of Managing Director of Global Football. He supplied plenty of goals for you – what were youR memories of him?

We were mates on and off the pitch because we had a nice understanding.

Brian was a clever winger in that he didn’t have to beat his man. He was brilliant at attacking him then knocking the ball inside and whipping one in with his right foot.

I knew he was going to do that which allowed me to get in the right place ahead of my defender.

We had a great relationship and he created a lot of goals for me.

It was just a shame he was injured for the Anfield game in 1989 when we won the League Championship at the end of that season.

But I loved playing with Brian.

Pick up the programme on Sunday to read Alan Smith's City Nightmare XI selections.