It is still six weeks to the end of the 2022/23 English Premier League, but today’s match at the Etihad Stadium between Manchester City and Arsenal is generally seen as the title-deciding fixture.
Arsenal lead the table by 75 points, five higher than second-placed City, who, however, have played two matches less. So, a win for Pep Guardiola’s side hands advantage to the defending champions, who will go four points ahead of Arsenal if they win their two outstanding games.
Both managers know how important the match is, hence they say they will go into the game with a view to winning it.
To show how much the game means to Man City, Guardiola has advised his team’s fans to arrive at the Etihad Stadium ‘three hours before’ kick-off. He wants everybody involved to help the team take control of their own destiny.
“Perfection doesn’t exist in football,” he said. “Against top teams your standards have to be so, so high, read exactly what you have to do to impose your game.
“Tomorrow is really important, not decisive because there are many tough games for both sides. We have more tough games to play but cannot deny how important it is.”
Guardiola, whose side are on a 16-game unbeaten run in all competitions, believes that his team have thrived by treating every game ‘as a final’ with three trophies still on the line.
“I have that feeling that it’s the truth,’ he added. ‘We can see the end: really, really close. To arrive at this decisive part of the league and have it in our hands. If they win, destiny will be in their hands and if we win, destiny is in our hands,” he said during the pre-match conference.
As Arsenal heads into the final six games of the season, Arteta has reflected on his squad’s strong mentality.
Arteta said: “Mentality plays a huge part. Obviously, the belief is there. When I look at how they train, how they reacted after that (result against Southampton), the mood in the dressing room, the way they defended each other in each moment – we really want it.
“We’re going to show that again tomorrow night, but then you have to deliver in the right moment, the right performance and it has to be perfect because that’s what these last levels demand. It’s absolute perfection in every single ball.”
