Arsenal’s victory over Manchester City on Sunday will not only be a huge step towards the Premier League title, but it will also finally prove that Mikel Arteta can perform when it matters most.
The thrilling showdown at the Etihad Stadium, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, is not a must-win for Arsenal from a league position perspective. A draw would be enough to keep Man City at arm’s length with little margin for error in the final month. But for Arteta, victory would be a decisive moment with one year remaining on his contract.
In any case, Arsenal need to be wary of plays aimed at a draw. In March 2024, the stalemate against Man City, with Liverpool leading by two points, was seen as a positive result. It was a disciplined response to the 4-1 defeat a year ago that accelerated City’s march to a third successive title, and was seen as progress.
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Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz looks at the impact of Manchester City’s Carabao Cup final victory on Arsenal and whether the blueprint for how to beat the Gunners has been revealed.
“We have taken a big step forward,” Arteta said after the match. “We have experienced what happened here last year and we encountered it in a different way.” However, City finished second again, two points behind Arsenal, and clinched their sixth title in seven seasons.
That is the uncomfortable pattern that currently characterizes Arteta’s stay at the club. He needs a statement win. He needs to prove he can get Arsenal over the line. And their biggest match in over 20 years has to be now.
Considering all the progress the club has made during his six-and-a-half seasons, there can only be one trophy. That’s what he got for his first six months at an empty Wembley Stadium.
Losing to City in the Carabao Cup final in March was the latest blow in Arteta’s quest for silverware. They lost in the semi-finals of the Champions League and Europa League, and twice in the League Cup.
Arsenal lost to Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals this month, their first defeat in the competition since their win.
Arsenal have taken 12 points from the current top six teams, leaving only Man City remaining. The 33 Premier League winners take an average of 18 points from their nearest rivals en route to the title. In Arteta’s five full seasons in charge, Arsenal have never reached 18 points.
Winning the top six is not necessarily decisive in a title race, losing to Bournemouth or drawing against Wolves can be equally damaging, but it is in these decisive moments that titles and reputations are formed.
“I’ve always said that to win titles you have to give them titles and now it’s time for Arteta and Arsenal to make that happen,” said Gary Neville of Sky Sports.
From May 2023 to August last year, there was a period when Arsenal went unbeaten in 22 games against the “big six” of Man United, Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham. This is the longest run in Premier League history, but what do they have to show for it?
In the same season that saw them beat Man City 5-1 at the Emirates, Arsenal drew twice with champions Liverpool. It’s a strange contradiction in Arteta’s arsenal. They are as capable as anyone, yet still seek out the big moments that truly define them.
Arteta’s time at Arsenal has drawn comparisons to Gareth Southgate’s time in charge of England. The two teams rebuilt from decline and were on the brink of success not seen in decades, but still failed to win a silver medal.
Southgate was judged on short bursts of tournament football where the margins were fine. Arteta will face a Man City side led by Josep Guardiola, who have shown unprecedented dominance in the Premier League.
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Tim Sherwood and Sam Brits have joined the Sky Sports News fan club and take a closer look at why Arsenal’s nervous mentality could be a key factor in whether they win the Premier League title.
Guardiola is an extraordinary level that Arteta has to surpass in a full season. At each meeting, the challenge is to see if the apprentice can outsmart the master. Arteta is set to enter the final year of his contract, but how long can Arsenal continue to fall at the final hurdle?
That’s why Sunday’s showdown was not just a title decider, but the ultimate test of Arteta’s mettle.
Watch Man City v Arsenal on Sky Sports Premier League from 4pm on Sunday (kick-off at 4.30pm)
