Mikel Arteta denies draw offer, says it’s win or go home against Manchester City on Sunday
Arsenal travel to the Etihad to take on Manchester City, and their once nine point lead could disappear soon if they don’t get a result in the biggest match of the year.
Nine months, over 30 matches and it all comes down to this. Arsenal and Manchester City meet in what feels like a do or die match for the Gunners on Sunday afternoon. Mikel Arteta’s men are dangerously close to letting go of a nine point lead, and even though a draw at the Etihad would seem like a favorable result, the Spaniard says he’s going to Manchester for all three points.
Three points all that matters for Arteta
Arsenal are coming off of a loss to Bournemouth last week, and that blew the league title race wide open. Since their last Premier League win, in February, things have spiraled out of control at the Etihad. Dreams of a quadruple disappeared after they lost Carabao Cup final to City, and then got bounced out of the FA Cup by Southampton.
Last week was their first league match in over a month, and the home loss to Bournemouth only added fuel to an already burning fire in North London. Now, with the wheels falling off they have to go to the Etihad and try to salvage their season. A draw wouldn’t be the worst result for the Gunners, but Mikel Areta says his side are going into enemy territory with one mindset.
“We are there to win the game. I haven’t talked about [a draw] guys. We need to win the game. And we are preparing to win the game,” said the Arsenal skipper. It certainly seems like a winner take all match and perhaps that is why Arteta has no interest in the draw.
Gunners, Arteta under fire
The once nine point lead is down to six following last week’s loss to Bournemouth and with a game in hand, City can take control of their own destiny with a win on Sunday in front of their home fans. While a loss wouldn’t technically lose Arsenal the league, just as a win won’t guarantee them the league, the situation is for a club that hasn’t won the Premier League in over two decades.
Now they have to go into one of the toughest places to play in all of England to try and extinguish the fire. Arteta knows the Etihad well, and doesn’t sound intimidated by it. “It’s no different to any stadium we’ve been to in the last five years. There’s no change there,” said the former City assistant manager.
Arteta has come under some heavy scrutiny over the last few weeks. Particularly because of the recent results, and even more so because of some of his methods on the training ground. Now he will face his mentor, Pep Guardiola, in the opposite dugout with his job potentially on the line.
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