At a Glance:
- Arsenal lost away at Manchester City on Sunday.
- The Gunners are now just three points clear at the top of Premier League.
- Mikel Arteta has implemented something that could help resurrect his team’s title charge.
Arsenal’s 2-1 loss to Manchester City has not been the easiest result to stomach for the Gunners, given that it was a game that either team could have taken the spoils from.
Goals from Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland were able to put the home team in front twice, while an opportunistic goal from Kai Havertz was not enough to get Mikel Arteta’s side the three points they so desperately would have wanted heading into the game.
Both the absence of Jurrien Timber and Bukayo Saka were heavily felt, as Arsenal struggled to create clear-cut opportunities with backups such as Noni Madueke failing to get the better of City.
One change Arteta has already implemented could see his team’s fortunes shift – but it must mean that once the team return to the pitch, it is as a unit and not with any clear concerns, such as bravery on the ball.
Mikel Arteta has given the Arsenal team a two-day break as pressure mounts on Gunners
Following defeat against championship hopefuls Manchester City on Sunday, news has broken that Arteta has decided to give the squad two days of rest, in the midst of a period for the team where the stakes are higher than ever.
It has not been an easy past few weeks for the Gunners – losing the Carabao Cup final to City, shockingly getting eliminated from the FA Cup by Southampton and Premier League losses to Bournemouth and now City.
With the team now in a period where, no matter what, every single member of the team will be worried about letting the league title slip through their fingers, there are still positives to think about for the North London team.
The return of Martin Odegaard, who looked competent in midfield on his first game back, as well as complications at City thanks to Rodri’s injury, could give Arsenal enough momentum to at least keep the title race competitive.
Miguel Delaney of the Independent supports this notion, stating that Arteta’s men should not be dissuaded, given the fact that there is a recent example of a team in a similar situation, which did indeed go on to win the league title.
Manchester City in 2012 were also looking for a first league title in years, and after a 1-0 loss to, ironically, Arsenal, it meant that City were eight points back of cross-town rivals Manchester United with six games to go.
Almost every football fan knows how the season ended for City, a last-minute goal from Sergio Aguero on the final day giving the team managed by Roberto Mancini their first league title of the century.
Delaney argues there ‘may also be a parallel’ between the return of star player Carlos Tevez for City back then, and the expected return of Bukayo Saka before the season comes to a conclusion.
It could be that Arsenal’s number 7 ends up essential to if his team will be title champions, or yet again trailing in second as the Premier League’s bridesmaid yet again.
Bukayo Saka expected to return in some capacity for upcoming Newcastle game
Saka only has 10 G/A in the league so far this season, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that he will make a return when the Gunners most need him, and he could end up being their most important player, especially if he returns this Saturday to play against Newcastle.
The 24-year-old last played for his club in the ill-fated Carabao Cup final, as he and his team struggled to make an impact on proceedings.
But given the fact that his positional replacement, Noni Madueke, was substituted at half-time thanks to his poor performance against his title rivals, it seems as if the Arsenal star’s return, whether it be against Newcastle or not, will be a rather significant boost to the Gunners.
