Arteta: Man City can win the league | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta has welcomed the visit of Manchester City to the Emirates this Sunday as the “perfect test” of Arsenal’s credentials, insisting his former club remain contenders for the Premier League title despite only winning 50% of their league games so far.

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Arteta spent three years as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at City, winning the league twice before departing in December 2019 for north London. He offered warm words for his former mentor.

“The demands that he puts first on himself, the standards that he requires from everybody around him, his will to win, to evolve, to improve,” he said. “You look around him always, he wants to learn about the best people. For me, he’s the best coach in the world. I had the pleasure to work with him and win a lot with him, next to him. It’s always great to see him back.”

Arsenal have begun the campaign with three wins from four games, and arrive in good shape after back-to-back victories since the international break. “It’s about winning again and creating another good moment for us,” Arteta said. “The consistency, competing against one of the best teams in the world, and a good test for us to see our level. We’ve had two very important wins, very good feeling about the games as well, and we’re preparing for a big match for Sunday.”

City, champions eight times in the Premier League era, have lost two of their opening four matches, but Arteta was emphatic when asked whether they remain in the title race. “I think so, without a doubt. Knowing Pep really, and the demands he puts on his players, the mentality they have in the football club, the squad and the players that they have, I think so for sure.”

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The most immediate danger comes from Erling Haaland, who has begun the season with five goals in four games and leads the race for the Golden Boot. Arsenal’s defensive strength has been a feature of their strong start, with four clean sheets in five matches, but Arteta acknowledged the scale of the task. “There are a lot of things that you have to get right. He’s a player who doesn’t need much space, much time or situations to generate big chances, especially in and around the box. Sometimes, preventing the source is the best thing to do, and we have to do it again.”

There are grounds for optimism. Arsenal are unbeaten at the Emirates this season and have not lost to City at home in their last two league encounters, including a 5-1 victory earlier this year that ended Guardiola’s side’s long unbeaten run in north London.

They also kept City goalless at the Etihad last term, using a disciplined block and aggressive pressing to stifle their build-up. City are winless against Arteta’s side in the last five after a run of 15 wins from the previous 16 meetings.

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With William Saliba and Gabriel expected to anchor the defence, and options such as Jurrien Timber, Myles Lewis Skelly, Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Hincapie, Christhian Mosquera and Ben White available if fit, Arsenal will back themselves to frustrate City again.

Injuries to Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and White remain a concern, but summer signings have bolstered their depth, with the likes of Viktor Gyökeres, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke and Martín Zubimendi already making an impact.

The Emirates has become a fortress under Arteta, and with momentum from a solid midweek Champions League win away at Athletic Club, Arsenal enter the weekend confident they can do more than just hold their own against Guardiola’s side.

And for all the mutual admiration between the two managers, Sunday will be judged only by the score at the end of the game.