Manchester City have continued to thwart Arsenal in recent title races and Rodri previously cited a difference in mentality - which Mikel Arteta is seeking to address
Rodri has previously taken aim at Arsenal's mentality
Rodri has previously taken aim at Arsenal's mentality
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Arsenal head to the Etihad knowing a draw will keep them in control of the Premier League title race - but Manchester City ace Rodri previously claimed that such a "mentality" cost the Gunners in the past.
Mikel Arteta's side were beaten last weekend by Bournemouth, which has bought City right back into contention. A win for the hosts would see them have their destiny in their own hands, and a win over Burnley on Wednesday could see them go top.
Arsenal meanwhile know that a win, or even a draw, would be enough for them to keep City at bay for now. Rewind two years and the Gunners headed to the Etihad and held out for a goalless draw - which kept them top of the table.
However City would win all their remaining games whilst Arsenal would suffer a crucial loss that ultimately handed Pep Guardiola's side the title. Rodri would later claim that Arsenal's lack of killer instinct was the difference between them and his side.
He said after winning another Premier League title: "They did an unbelievable season, but I think the difference was in here [points to his head]. When they came here, they faced us at the Etihad, I saw them and said ‘Ah, these guys, they don't want to beat us, they just want a draw’.
"And that mentality, I don't think we would do it the same way. And we caught them. At the end, if you give us one point, we will win the last seven, eight games even though it's so tough. So I think it comes down to mentality.”
The north Londoners are looking to end a run of three successive second-place finishes. The Gunners have led the way for the majority of the season but a recent slump has seen them capitulate. They had their sights set on a quadruple but have been dumped out of both domestic cups.
Man City recently got the better of Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final
Man City recently got the better of Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final(Image: Andrew Fosker/Shutterstock)
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Their season is now on a knife-edge and Arteta maintains, as he seeks to win on the blue half of Manchester for the first time and get the better of his old teacher, that they are not simply going to settle for a draw.
"We're going to prepare the game to win it, that's for sure and we see that as a big opportunity for us," he said. "We’re not going to spend one second talking about that [drawing]. We prepare every game to win, that's where we are and we're going to continue to do the same.”
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