“We’ve been preparing for this since pre-season” : Mikel Arteta ahead of clash against Manchester City
After a narrow escape against bitter rivals Spurs and an eventful draw against the Europa League champions Atlanta, the Gunners are about to finish their rare hectic week of playing three matches this Sunday, as Manchester City play hosts to them in the season’s most important match, up until now.
Pep Guardiola’s team has been a major thorn in the North London club’s side for the past two seasons, and the Spainard is showing no signs of stopping as City aims for five Premier League titles in a row. Arsenal were just two points short of the ‘Cityzens’ last season, and many fans are wondering if this may well be the year that the student Mikel Arteta dethrones his mentor.
The previous meeting of these two clubs in the Etihad was rather uneventful, leading to a goalless draw. The Gunners’ failure to score ultimately led to Guardiola’s side taking the crown, with many critical of Arteta’s coaching. City’s pivot Rodri, who was arguably the best player in the league last season, also revealed that he felt like the Gunners came to the Etihad to play for a draw. The big question now is, how Mikel Arteta will set things up this time around to provide an early sting in their rivals’ season.
“We have to go there and prove that we can compete” : Mikel Arteta is ready for the biggest challenge of the season till now
At the press conference this Friday leading up to the matchday, Arsenal’s manager revealed how much they are looking forward to this matchup, as they have been preparing for it since the pre-season. Not really surprising, as the Gunners would have been champions twice-in-a-row if not for the sheer dominance portrayed by Guardiola and co.
“We’ve been preparing for this since pre-season. Obviously, we knew the schedule and we know that it’s extremely rare to play in these conditions with three massive away games in six days,” said Arteta.
“But it was what it was so we have prepared for that, both physically, mentally and tactically. We’re making sure that everyone is ready for it because we’re going to need them, especially with the injuries that we had from the international break,” the 42-year-old added.
The Spainard coach did not forget to laud Manchester City, as he mentioned that they have been the most consistent side in the history of the Premier League. He is correct about this statement, as bar Sir Alex Ferguson’s Red Devils, no other team in history has been able to consistently perform at this level for multiple seasons.
“We go to the home of the champions, the team that I think in Premier League history has been the most consistent ever, not only in terms of results but in terms of dominance and consistent top performances. This is the challenge. We have to go there and prove that again we’ve made another step and we can compete.” explained Mikel Arteta, who was the former assistant to Pep Guardiola in Manchester City.
Mikel Arteta knows the ins and outs of City, being one of them for several years. Time has passed, and he has established himself as one of the top ranked managers in the world. This season might turn out to be the most important ever for the Spaniard, as the Gunners are expected to finally dethrone the most dominant team in the modern era.
