In a Premier League more indecisive than ever, this clash between Manchester City and Arsenal had all the makings of a final before its time. At the Etihad Stadium, Pep Guardiola’s men played big this Sunday. Left behind, but with a match in hand, the Cityzens had the perfect opportunity to relaunch a title race that was thought to swing to the London side. Opposite, Mikel Arteta’s Gunners, leaders but weakened by worrying recent results, could strike a big blow and almost fold the championship. Instead, this duel at the top revived all the uncertainties and put pressure on a leader who was not asking for so much. On the pitch, City assumed its status and its urgency. Buoyed by an intense start to the match, the Cityzens quickly found the fault thanks to an inspired Rayan Cherki, before seeing Kai Havertz take advantage of a huge error from Gianluigi Donnarumma to equalize straight away.
The match then turned into a standoff, rhythmic and tense, where each team had its highlights. But as is often the case in major events, the difference was made in the details… and in the talent. In the second half, Erling Haaland ended up turning the match around, concluding a sharp action to offer a precious victory (2-1) to his team. In the standings, this defeat leaves its mark on Arsenal’s side. Still leaders, the Gunners nevertheless see City coming back three lengths, with the very concrete threat of a return to equality in the event of Mancunian success in their late match. Above all, it revives a well-known scenario in north London: that of an attractive team, but crumbly in the final sprint. Mocked several times in recent seasons for their falls at the decisive moment, Arteta’s men are once again showing signs of feverishness.
Arteta is aware of the pressure
But beyond the result, it is more the psychological impact of this defeat which questions Arsenal. Certainly, the Gunners remain leaders, but the shadow of Manchester City has suddenly approached, almost suffocating. And with it, a scent of déjà vu that is seriously starting to stick to the skin of Londoners. For several seasons, Arsenal have become accustomed to shining… before collapsing at the end. This meeting offered a new worrying illustration of this inability to manage weak times, defensive feverishness, palpable tension in the duels, like Gabriel on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Even in their best moments, Arteta’s men seemed to lack lucidity, missing opportunities which, in a title race, do not always present themselves. The pressure mounts, memories of previous failures resurface, and with five days still to go, Arsenal gives the feeling of walking on a tightrope again. “There is always this pressure in football. Still noise. It’s part of being a footballer at this level. We will continue, focus on ourselves. Plan for the next match and move on. That’s all we have to do. Do I still believe in it? Yes of course “Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard told Sky Sports. Same alarming observation for Mikel Arteta. “When you don’t take risks and they have the individual talent, that’s when the risk appears. Because we lose the match. I don’t think there was any difference between the two teams. There is an element of luck, whether the ball goes in or not. On the second goal, the ball is deflected and arrives at Haaland’s feet. There are also individual qualities: being calm, precise and ruthless. You have to be present. We did it, that’s for sure. The team’s attitude remained intact until the end. We could have been more calm at times, but we clearly took the game where we wanted it. We knew we had a great opportunity to win. We were close, but not close enough. Now we have to pull ourselves together. We missed an opportunity today, a big one. But there are still five games left. There are still a lot of positive points to remember. We take the matches one after the other. We had some very good moments a few days ago in the Champions League against Sporting..
“We play one after another. We are the only team to play non-stop. But the positive point is that we saw the level, we can cope with it, and even do better. There are five games left to play, but we are going to give it our all. We are absolutely confident that we can do it. Today we proved it to the team. Destiny is still in our hands, and victory is within our reach.”concluded the Spanish coach. Opposite, Manchester City advances with the serenity of great machines. Accustomed to managing the end of the season under pressure, Guardiola’s players seem to have engaged their traditional steamroller mode. Their schedule, including a decisive late match against Burnley on Wednesday, offers them an ideal trajectory to get back up to par, or even overtake Arsenal in the very short term. “Two teams with very high level coaches. And very high level players on both sides. But now it’s every three days, it’s so demanding. But the reality is simple: they are leading the championship. They are one goal ahead on goal difference. We must take advantage of it, celebrate it, savor this positive moment. But we must not lose sight of our objective. In three days we go to Burnley“, explained Guardiola Above all, the dynamics are clearly in their favor since City are gaining strength at a time when Arsenal are in doubt. This ability to accelerate in key moments, to change matches thanks to individuals like Haaland or Cherki, reminds us why the Cityzens have dominated English football in recent years. Conversely, Arsenal will not only have to win, but also battle their own demons. More than ever, the title race is relaunched… and everything indicates that Manchester City, true to form, is regaining control at the cruelest moment for the Gunners who must also have their minds set on the Champions League
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– UPDATE
