Mikel Arteta says Arsenal will head to Manchester City in search of a win, even though a draw at the Etihad would keep them in control of the title race with five games to go.
Last weekend’s results trimmed the gap between the sides to six points, and a City victory on Sunday would shift the momentum again, particularly with Pep Guardiola’s team still holding a game in hand.
Arsenal are unbeaten in their last five league meetings with City, but it was Guardiola’s side who came out on top in last month’s League Cup final. The Etihad has also been a difficult place for the Gunners, with just two wins there in the last 16 years, the most recent coming in 2015.
Nothing will be decided this weekend, but it has all the hallmarks of a classic showdown – tense, finely balanced and hard to predict.
“We’re not going to spend one second talking about that,” [replied Arteta](https://www.arsenal.com/news/every-word-artetas-pre-manchester-city-presser) when asked if a draw would suit his side.
“We prepare every game to win, that’s what we are, where we are, and we’re going to continue to do the same.”
The manager also refused to be drawn into grand proclamations about the game being the biggest of the season so far.
“It’s certainly the most important one because it’s the next one,” he said.
“We have earned the right to be in this position, to be challenging and with the possibility to win and the opportunity to win on Sunday, against arguably the best team and the best manager that this league has ever seen.
“That’s a huge privilege, and we cannot wait to play the game. We’re going to prepare to win it, that’s for sure, and we see that as a big opportunity for us.”
After losing to Bournemouth on Saturday, a result that sent the mood among supporters into a spiral, the Gunners regrouped to draw with Sporting Lisbon in midweek, securing their place in the Champions League semi-finals for the second year running.
Arteta sees that achievement as a significant boost.
“It was a great night, it really gave us a boost because to be part of those best European clubs is a big thing.
“We haven’t been there that often, so we really value it. We give huge credit to the players for what they’ve done, and they have to use that fuel, that energy, for Sunday and the big game that we have to play.”
At Wembley three weeks ago, Manchester City tweaked their tactics to disrupt Arsenal’s build-up play. Bournemouth followed a similar blueprint last weekend, and others will have taken note.
The question for Arteta is whether his side can find a solution if faced with the same challenge on Sunday.
“There are some moments that we struggle, we didn’t make the right decision, sometimes we broke that press, and then we didn’t take advantage of that,” reflected Arteta.
“Every tactic has its issues, its opportunities as well, and in relation to what they do, we will adapt, and we’ll do the same.”
On whether the biggest obstacle could be Arsenal themselves, he added: “Our team has to give us every tool, every element that we need to go and win it. We will have a very, very strong opponent, we know that.
“We’ve been doing it for nine months in every context, we have played a lot of games against them, and we know what we have to do.”
While Guardiola has suggested anything other than a City win would hand Arsenal the title, it is not quite that simple. Both sides still have difficult fixtures ahead, and there is plenty of room for twists before the final day.
“There are six games to go. Obviously, it’s a really important one for both teams, and it will incline the balance a little bit.
“Winning a game in the Premier League is so tough for everybody, so after this one, they will still have some very difficult matches, like we will, and we’ll have to wait and see what happens.
“If we win, we’re going to be closer, that’s for sure, and that’s why we want to win the game on Sunday.”