Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said that the upcoming Premier League match against Manchester City is important for the team, but it will not define their entire season.
Arsenal’s chances of winning the title have slipped away as they have drawn their last three games. They are now only five points ahead of City, who are the reigning champions, even though Arsenal has played two more games than them.
City has been performing well, winning games consistently and aiming for a rare treble after securing a place in the FA Cup final and Champions League semi-finals.
On Wednesday, Arsenal will visit City with the aim of taking back their lead in the championship race and winning their first Premier League championship since 2003-04.
Arteta acknowledged that City and Liverpool were the top contenders from the start due to their impressive performances over the past few years. He believes they deserve recognition for their accomplishments.
We aimed to narrow the distance as much as possible and now we are at the same level.
The upcoming game at Etihad is crucial, but it will not determine the outcome of the entire season. We have five challenging games after that.
Arsenal has not won against City in their past seven encounters and their last league win at City was in 2015. However, Arteta has full confidence in his team’s ability to compete against them.
Arteta observed how the players supported each other after the last game and stated that they are determined to demonstrate their unity again in the upcoming match.
Timing and performance are crucial, as perfection is expected during this particular season.
Arteta said that winning the upcoming match against their opponent will not guarantee them the league title as there are still five more games to play, and the league is unpredictable. Winning the match will only increase their chances of winning the league.
The status of William Saliba’s lower back injury and Granit Xhaka’s illness is unknown, causing uncertainty for Arsenal.
Arteta did not confirm whether defender Saliba would be available for Wednesday’s match against Etihad and said that the decision would be made by the doctors. He also mentioned that the team is preparing for the game without him and taking it week by week.