Arsenal and Manchester City have drawn in their past two Premier League fixtures.
If either club wants to make a serious title bid, the three points at stake in their Sunday clash in London could be crucial.
Second-place Arsenal (13-2-8, 47 points) enter the weekend only six points back of leaders Liverpool, having avoided the kind of extended slide that City endured in November and December.
But Arsenal will look upon these sides’ previous contentious meeting in Manchester as a missed opportunity.
After reversing an early deficit, the Gunners played valiantly in the second half following Leandro Trossard’s dismissal just before halftime, only to concede John Stones’ goal in second-half stoppage time.
Chaotic scenes followed the 2-2 draw, contributing to a narrative of bad blood. But Gunners manager Mikel Arteta insists vengeance isn’t his team’s primary aim Sunday.
“The business is to be better than them,” he said. “That’s it. The only thing I review is what happened during that match; how competitive it gets is normal when two big teams want to win the game. Nothing else from that side.”
Arteta’s team may be weaker than the one he fielded in that previous meeting. Bukayo Saka will be out for several more weeks due to a hamstring injury, and Gabriel Jesus is lost for the season following an ACL tear sustained in a mid-January FA Cup clash against Manchester United.
City boss Pep Guardiola, who once had the fellow Spaniard Arteta on his staff, also says reports of animosity are overblown — at least involving the two coaches.
“Exceptional,” he said of their relationship. “With him and his family. We’re not in touch much because we have business but the respect that we have is always there.”
Guardiola will feel heartened by his side’s much-improved form in the past month to claw back into fourth place and within 12 points of Liverpool, a position from which a miracle late title charge still could be possible.
Manchester City (12-6-5, 41 points) are unbeaten in the past six EPL fixtures, including a 3-1 home win over Chelsea last weekend. And the club also solidified its UEFA Champions League knockout stage place by rallying to a 3-1 win over Club Brugge on Wednesday night.
Phil Foden has been providing a much-needed secondary scoring threat of late, contributing his seventh league goal against Chelsea after Erling Haaland had his 18th. Brazilian prospect Savinho scored his first career UCL goal as a second-half sub on Wednesday.
–Field Level Media
