Last time out, Arsenal suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of Bournemouth in the Premier League. It was only the second time they have lost at home all season – their once vice-like grip on the league title now appears somewhat limp.
Manchester City, on the other hand, are starting to pick up a major head of steam. In their last three games, they have beaten the Gunners, as well as Chelsea and Liverpool – all without conceding a single goal.
There were some lacklustre displays from the Gunners on the day – Martin Zubimendi, Kai Havertz and Ben White were all singled out for criticism.
As such, fears have begun to rise within the Arsenal fanbase. But are they right to be frightened? In terms of Premier League form, the two teams are similarly poised, but all will be revealed when the two teams come to blows at the weekend.
Arsenal & Manchester City’s last 5 Premier League games
Won Drawn Lost G/D
Arsenal 3 1 1 +3
Man City 3 2 0 +5
Have Arsenal’s tactics been ‘found out’?
In Arsenal’s last few games, a pattern has emerged – their set-piece routines have not been the universal equaliser that they have proven to be earlier in the season. For a side that has begun to rely heavily on set plays, this is concerning for Mikel Arteta.
City themselves implemented a smart gameplan in the League Cup final. They made sure to pick up as many second balls as possible using intelligent positional play – the Gunners had no answer for this, ultimately losing the game by a score of 2-0.
Then, Bournemouth did much of the same. They penned Arsenal in, effectively man-marking anyone looking to pick up a loose ball on the edge of the area.
Interestingly, Arsenal’s players covered more distance on average than the Cherries. The key to beating Arsenal is to work smart, not necessarily hard. By negating their set plays, Arsenal’s lack of a Plan B becomes instantly apparent.
The Gunners’ attacking players lacked the creativity to break Bournemouth down in open play. The Cherries are not defensive wizards, either – they have conceded 49 goals in the Premier League this season, more than Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Sunderland.
Of course, only so much can be taken away from one performance – but with City firing on all cylinders, Arsenal will be feeling the heat.
Can Manchester City beat Arsenal?
The game between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on April 19 will be the defining game of the 2025/26 Premier League. Both teams need a win, but City have to enter as the favourites.
Not only are the Sky Blues in better form, they’ll also have the benefit of a midweek rest. Arsenal, on the other hand, will play Sporting CP in the Champions League on Wednesday night. Amid such a fierce title race, a distraction like that is seldom helpful.
On top of this, City also have the home advantage – there are an awful lot of factors running in Pep Guardiola’s favour ahead of this game.
The pressure is all on Arsenal ahead of this game. Historically, under Arteta, the Gunners do not handle pressure well – especially towards the end of the season.
The Spaniard is far too smart to allow a repeat of the League Cup final to occur. It will be a far more dynamic game than that one was – but will he find an answer in time?