Wayne Rooney previews Manchester City Arsenal match, tells which team has edge and why

The biggest weekend on the Premier League is approaching as a sliding Arsenal side look to stop the bleeding against their closest contenders at the Etihad this Sunday. It’s the headline match of the week and the season as City look to close the gap on the league leaders, and Wayne Rooney wasted no time looking ahead to the massive match up.

Lucky number seven for Pep

Rooney knows a thing or two about what it takes to win the Premier League. He won five league titles with Manchester United including three in a row from 2006 to 2009. In matches like this, experience and maturity is something that plays a big role, and there is only one side that will know what it takes to win these kinds of games with so much at stake.

Speaking on the Wayne Rooney show on Monday morning, Rooney said City “know how to win the title” and that they “have a manager that knows how to do it.” Pep Guardiola has won every where he has been, and since arriving at Manchester City almost a decade ago he has won the Premier League six times.

“I think City will have the edge on that, just purely the manager and players they’ve got. They will be able to stay a little calmer than the Arsenal players,” said Rooney. These are nervy moments for Arsenal who have lost three of their last four matches in all competitions and, and two of those loses have cost them a chance at two titles.

Dropping titles like flies

The trouble started before the international break when Arsenal’s bid for a historic quadruple was taken at the hands of this very City side. A 2-0 defeat in the the Carabao Cup sent them into the two week hiatus with a bitter taste in their mouths, and that only soured upon their return when they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Southampton.

These last few matches could have a lasting effect heading into the biggest match of the season. “They will be worried because when you go on a run and lose a few games, you start thinking ‘where’s the next goal, the next win going to come from?’ That negative mindset really has an impact on your performance.”

The Gunners one time nine point lead is now to six after their loss to Bournemouth, and if things don’t go their way on Sunday in Manchester that could dwindle all the way down to three with City still having a match in hand. Arsenal have been criticized for their style of play for much of this season, but Rooney says they need to do anything they can to take three points out of the Etihad. “Whether the fans like that type of football or not, they have to do anything to stop City winning. They need to be resilient enough to stop City from scoring.”

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.