Arteta has ‘very clear idea’ of Man City aims ahead of Arsenal visit

By Nicholas MendolaMar 9, 2020, 9:31 PM EDT
Mikel Arteta
Photo by Nick Potts/EMPICS/PA Images via Getty Images
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Does Mikel Arteta have the upper hand on Pep Guardiola?

Arsenal’s boss certainly doesn’t have the resume or reputation of Man City’s wizard, but Arteta will enter Wednesday’s match with plenty of information.

Arteta, of course, sat next to Guardiola for years at Man City before leaving mid-season to take the manager’s job at Arsenal.

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It’s fair to say that Arteta has a bigger book on what Guardiola will attempt at the Etihad Stadium than the other way around.

“It gives me a very clear idea of what they are trying to do, what they will be looking to do but it’s something different to be able to stop that and as well create the issues that I think we can create for them,” Arteta said, via Football.London. “That has to happen on the day, when they are at their best, we know what they are capable of doing, the variation they have. At the end of the day, it’s about the players on the pitch and their performance.”

A win from the Gunners would really improve their unlikely top four stock while weakening Man City’s hold on second place.

Arsenal definitely has the attacking firepower to challenge Man City’s suspect back line, and Arteta will know the pressure points as well as anyone. He’ll know what Guardiola most fears from his men, too.

That said, Guardiola will know what Arteta knows and, at the risk of making this too convoluted, might have some surprises in store not unlike the Gabriel Jesus at left mid he deployed versus Real Madrid.

How surprised would you be by an Arsenal win at the Etihad?

Team GP W D L GF GA GD Home Away PTS
 Liverpool 29 27 1 1 66 21 45 15-0-0 12-1-1 82
 Manchester City 28 18 3 7 68 31 37 9-2-2 9-1-5 57
 Leicester City 29 16 5 8 58 28 30 9-3-3 7-2-5 53
 Chelsea 29 14 6 9 51 39 12 7-3-5 7-3-4 48
 Manchester United 29 12 9 8 44 30 14 8-5-2 4-4-6 45
 Wolves 29 10 13 6 41 34 7 5-7-3 5-6-3 43
 Sheffield United 28 11 10 7 30 25 5 7-3-5 4-7-2 43
 Tottenham Hotspur 29 11 8 10 47 40 7 8-2-4 3-6-6 41
 Arsenal 28 9 13 6 40 36 4 7-5-3 2-8-3 40
 Burnley 29 11 6 12 34 40 -6 7-2-6 4-4-6 39
 Crystal Palace 29 10 9 10 26 32 -6 6-4-5 4-5-5 39
 Everton 29 10 7 12 37 46 -9 7-4-3 3-3-9 37
 Newcastle United 29 9 8 12 25 41 -16 5-6-3 4-2-9 35
 Southampton 29 10 4 15 35 52 -17 4-2-9 6-2-6 34
 Brighton & Hove Albion 29 6 11 12 32 40 -8 4-6-4 2-5-8 29
 West Ham United 29 7 6 16 35 50 -15 4-3-7 3-3-9 27
 Watford 29 6 9 14 27 44 -17 4-5-5 2-4-9 27
 Bournemouth 29 7 6 16 29 47 -18 4-5-5 3-1-11 27
 Aston Villa 28 7 4 17 34 56 -22 5-2-6 2-2-11 25
 Norwich City 29 5 6 18 25 52 -27 4-3-7 1-3-11 21u

 

Team GP W D L GF GA GD Home Away PTS
 Liverpool 29 27 1 1 66 21 45 15-0-0 12-1-1 82
 Manchester City 28 18 3 7 68 31 37 9-2-2 9-1-5 57
 Leicester City 29 16 5 8 58 28 30 9-3-3 7-2-5 53
 Chelsea 29 14 6 9 51 39 12 7-3-5 7-3-4 48
 Manchester United 29 12 9 8 44 30 14 8-5-2 4-4-6 45
 Wolves 29 10 13 6 41 34 7 5-7-3 5-6-3 43
 Sheffield United 28 11 10 7 30 25 5 7-3-5 4-7-2 43
 Tottenham Hotspur 29 11 8 10 47 40 7 8-2-4 3-6-6 41
 Arsenal 28 9 13 6 40 36 4 7-5-3 2-8-3 40
 Burnley 29 11 6 12 34 40 -6 7-2-6 4-4-6 39
 Crystal Palace 29 10 9 10 26 32 -6 6-4-5 4-5-5 39
 Everton 29 10 7 12 37 46 -9 7-4-3 3-3-9 37
 Newcastle United 29 9 8 12 25 41 -16 5-6-3 4-2-9 35
 Southampton 29 10 4 15 35 52 -17 4-2-9 6-2-6 34
 Brighton & Hove Albion 29 6 11 12 32 40 -8 4-6-4 2-5-8 29
 West Ham United 29 7 6 16 35 50 -15 4-3-7 3-3-9 27
 Watford 29 6 9 14 27 44 -17 4-5-5 2-4-9 27
 Bournemouth 29 7 6 16 29 47 -18 4-5-5 3-1-11 27
 Aston Villa 28 7 4 17 34 56 -22 5-2-6 2-2-11 25
 Norwich City 29 5 6 18 25 52 -27 4-3-7 1-3-11 21