Man City vs Arsenal: Should Mikel Arteta's side face the Premier League champions or settle for a point again?

On May 28, Manchester City officially won the Premier League title last season, but this afternoon Rodri explained that the race had been decided in City’s favor 60 days earlier.

On the final day of the match, he stood in the celebratory Etihad Stadium with the Premier League winner’s medal around his neck. The City midfielder pointed to his head“To be honest, I think it’s here,” he said. “It’s the mentality.”

“If you [Arsenal] came here, they played us at the Etihad, I saw them and said, ‘Ah, these guys don’t want to beat us, they just want a draw.’ And with that mentality, I don’t think we would do it the same way.”

Rodri was referring to the most recent City-Arsenal match in March, which saw last season’s two title contenders face off in Manchester. The Gunners went home with a point from a goalless draw, leaving them one point ahead of City and two behind leaders Liverpool.

Arsenal lost the league title to City by two points and Rodri felt the Gunners’ decision to settle for one point rather than go for three cost Mikel Arteta’s side the win. He wasn’t the only one. Before the game, Gary Neville said Arsenal had to beat City on their home ground to be deserved champions or lose the league.

Rodri and Neville’s comments will recur again this season when City and Arsenal face each other again in the Premier League next Sunday. Once again, they are the two best teams in the country and although it is still early in the season, this could still be a defining chapter.

This weekend’s duel, live on Sky Sportsraises the question of whether Arteta should be more proactive at the Etihad: along with Anfield, it is one of only two Premier League stadiums where the Arsenal manager has never led his team to a win.

In their last game at the Etihad Stadium in March, City had more possession but Arsenal gave them few chances, limiting the Premier League champions to just one shot on goal – and not a single one from open play.

It is synonymous with the ‘Arteta Way’ away from home on the bigger occasions. Compared to games against the rest of the league, there is a clear decline in Arsenal’s away schedule against the bigger teams.

The same game plan against City in March was repeated away at Tottenham last weekend. Just as in their last Etihad away game, the Gunners let their arch-rivals dominate the ball, trusted their robust back four to repel attacks and waited patiently for the opportunity to strike. This came with Gabriel’s goal from a corner on the hour.

Gary Neville described the Spurs performance as “perfect preparation” for City – but Arsenal have been this resilient for months. The Gunners have never trailed a single minute away from home in the Premier League in 2024 and have won nine of their ten away games – the only slip-up was the draw at City.

One reason for the Arsenal defender’s high efficiency away from home is the limited space the defenders leave the opponent near the penalty area.

Since the start of last season, only Crystal Palace and Sheffield United have allowed opposing attackers fewer shots in away games than Arteta’s side. Both the Eagles and Blades finished bottom of the Premier League last season, showing how determined Arteta is to change his style from dominant to defensive protector.

Overall, Arteta has taken Arsenal from a team that went 29 winless away games in the ‘Big Six’ until 2020 to one that has not lost any of those games since the start of last season. Deviating from their game plan in those games, especially without captain Martin Odegaard, who is one of Arsenal’s better pressers without the ball, would be a bold move by Arteta.

Nevertheless, the temptation to face Man City on Sunday is great, especially given the champions’ recent home record.

City have conceded at least one goal in 15 of their last 21 home games – and have conceded the first home goal in each of their two home league games.

The most recent lapse, if you can still call a deficit a lapse, came against Brentford, who opened the scoring within 22 seconds. But City’s problems didn’t stop there. The Bees managed 0.87 xG in the first half hour against Guardiola’s side before Erling Haaland’s brace gave City the lead they have held to this day.

“I can’t remember a team playing like Brentford did in the first 30 minutes for eight or nine years,” said Guardiola. “We weren’t at our best and they deserved to lose 2-0.”

“Every time they had the ball, they created a chance. Long balls, duels won, short passes breaking the lines.” That’s your prime example, Mikel.

City’s problems continued on Wednesday night against Inter Milan in the Champions League. The Italians had 10 shots on goal in the first half at City, although City had never conceded more than eight shots on goal in the first half of a Premier League home game under Guardiola.

Perhaps this is all part of City’s plan and part of the ruse; the champions’ attempt to make you think you have a chance, to lure you out of your shell, then pick you out and beat you. A possible mind game by Guardiola, who began this week by saying he felt “weaker” against coaches he has worked with in the past. A bait for Arteta?

Despite all these difficulties, City’s last league defeat at the Etihad Stadium came in November 2022. Arsenal’s last win there dates back to 2015. The history books say Arsenal would do well to walk away from Manchester’s premium club with another point – but the question Rodri raised is: do they need to win?

“Next Sunday is a big game, psychologically a big one,” said Neville. “Last season I felt they had to go to City and win. I felt that quite strongly then.”

“It’s not always possible because very few teams win there, but this time I don’t have such a strong feeling about it because it’s so early in the season. It’s a big week, but I don’t think it should be overestimated.

“You can’t lose that under any circumstances.”