Arteta Vows Arsenal Will Attack Man City in Title Decider
Mikel Arteta has fired back at critics of Arsenal's previous approaches against Manchester City, vowing his team will go all-out for victory in this weekend's crucial Premier League title showdown. The Spaniard insists Arsenal will not contemplate parking the bus at the Etihad Stadium, even though a draw would leave the title race firmly in their hands.
No Defensive Mentality This Time
Arteta said: "We want to win the game. We are there to win the game. We haven't talked about that [a draw]. We need to win the game. And we are preparing to win the game. There will be no difference to any stadium we have been to in the last five years. There's no change there."
This declaration comes two years after Arsenal played out a goalless draw at the Etihad when both teams were competing for the title. Manchester City midfielder Rodri later claimed that match revealed Arsenal's "mentality" issues, suggesting it was the moment City knew they would be crowned champions.
However, Arteta has countered that narrative, insisting Arsenal did not set out to shut up shop in that encounter. He argued it could have been a good point if they had won their remaining games that season.
Going for the Jugular
This time, Arteta has made it clear his team is going for the jugular, with victory potentially restoring a nine-point lead at the top of the table. He added: "You don't know. You have to make it a good point by winning the next game. Or we should have made it better in the City game when we had the opportunity to do it."
The Arsenal manager emphasized: "We're not going to propose a game like this because we never do that. Sometimes the opponent is that good that forces you to be there and in City's case you're going to have moments that you do the same, deep in your box for periods of time, and that's the reality."
Injury Updates and Squad News
Arteta provided updates on several key players ahead of this potential title decider:
- Martin Odegaard could be involved despite recent concerns
- Jurrien Timber has not been ruled out completely
- Bukayo Saka will definitely miss the match through injury
- 16-year-old Max Dowman could feature if needed
Regarding the teenage prospect Dowman, Arteta said: "He will be ready, I'm sure. You throw him in any context, this kid, you know what he's going to be delivering and he's shown that this season and in whatever games that we used him."
Victory for Arsenal this weekend would all but clinch their first domestic title in over twenty years, making this arguably the most significant Premier League match of the season. The Gunners have faced criticism for their approach in previous clashes with Manchester City, but Arteta's bold declaration suggests a different tactical plan for this crucial encounter.
