Does Mikel Arteta have the upper hand on Pep Guardiola?
Arsenalโs boss certainly doesnโt have the resume or reputation of Man Cityโs wizard, but Arteta will enter Wednesdayโs match with plenty of information.
Arteta, of course, sat next to Guardiola for years at Man City before leaving mid-season to take the managerโs job at Arsenal.
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Itโs fair to say that Arteta has a bigger book on what Guardiola will attempt at the Etihad Stadium than the other way around.
โIt gives me a very clear idea of what they are trying to do, what they will be looking to do but itโs something different to be able to stop that and as well create the issues that I think we can create for them,โ Arteta said, via Football.London. โThat 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, itโs about the players on the pitch and their performance.โ
A win from the Gunners would really improve their unlikely top four stock while weakening Man Cityโs hold on second place.
Arsenal definitely has the attacking firepower to challenge Man Cityโs suspect back line, and Arteta will know the pressure points as well as anyone. Heโll 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 | |||
| ย Liverpool | 29 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 66 | 21 | 45 | 15-0-0 | 12-1-1 | 82 | |||
| ย Manchester City | 28 | 18 | 3 | 7 | 68 | 31 | 37 | 9-2-2 | 9-1-5 | 57 | |||
| ย Leicester City | 29 | 16 | 5 | 8 | 58 | 28 | 30 | 9-3-3 | 7-2-5 | 53 | |||
| ย Chelsea | 29 | 14 | 6 | 9 | 51 | 39 | 12 | 7-3-5 | 7-3-4 | 48 | |||
| ย Manchester United | 29 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 44 | 30 | 14 | 8-5-2 | 4-4-6 | 45 | |||
| ย Wolves | 29 | 10 | 13 | 6 | 41 | 34 | 7 | 5-7-3 | 5-6-3 | 43 | |||
| ย Sheffield United | 28 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 30 | 25 | 5 | 7-3-5 | 4-7-2 | 43 | |||
| ย Tottenham Hotspur | 29 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 47 | 40 | 7 | 8-2-4 | 3-6-6 | 41 | |||
| ย Arsenal | 28 | 9 | 13 | 6 | 40 | 36 | 4 | 7-5-3 | 2-8-3 | 40 | |||
| ย Burnley | 29 | 11 | 6 | 12 | 34 | 40 | -6 | 7-2-6 | 4-4-6 | 39 | |||
| ย Crystal Palace | 29 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 26 | 32 | -6 | 6-4-5 | 4-5-5 | 39 | |||
| ย Everton | 29 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 37 | 46 | -9 | 7-4-3 | 3-3-9 | 37 | |||
| ย Newcastle United | 29 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 25 | 41 | -16 | 5-6-3 | 4-2-9 | 35 | |||
| ย Southampton | 29 | 10 | 4 | 15 | 35 | 52 | -17 | 4-2-9 | 6-2-6 | 34 | |||
| ย Brighton & Hove Albion | 29 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 32 | 40 | -8 | 4-6-4 | 2-5-8 | 29 | |||
| ย West Ham United | 29 | 7 | 6 | 16 | 35 | 50 | -15 | 4-3-7 | 3-3-9 | 27 | |||
| ย Watford | 29 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 27 | 44 | -17 | 4-5-5 | 2-4-9 | 27 | |||
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| ย Bournemouth | 29 | 7 | 6 | 16 | 29 | 47 | -18 | 4-5-5 | 3-1-11 | 27 | |||
| ย Aston Villa | 28 | 7 | 4 | 17 | 34 | 56 | -22 | 5-2-6 | 2-2-11 | 25 | |||
| ย Norwich City | 29 | 5 | 6 | 18 | 25 | 52 | -27 | 4-3-7 | 1-3-11 | 21u | |||
ย
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Home | Away | PTS | |||
| ย Liverpool | 29 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 66 | 21 | 45 | 15-0-0 | 12-1-1 | 82 | |||
| ย Manchester City | 28 | 18 | 3 | 7 | 68 | 31 | 37 | 9-2-2 | 9-1-5 | 57 | |||
| ย Leicester City | 29 | 16 | 5 | 8 | 58 | 28 | 30 | 9-3-3 | 7-2-5 | 53 | |||
| ย Chelsea | 29 | 14 | 6 | 9 | 51 | 39 | 12 | 7-3-5 | 7-3-4 | 48 | |||
| ย Manchester United | 29 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 44 | 30 | 14 | 8-5-2 | 4-4-6 | 45 | |||
| ย Wolves | 29 | 10 | 13 | 6 | 41 | 34 | 7 | 5-7-3 | 5-6-3 | 43 | |||
| ย Sheffield United | 28 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 30 | 25 | 5 | 7-3-5 | 4-7-2 | 43 | |||
| ย Tottenham Hotspur | 29 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 47 | 40 | 7 | 8-2-4 | 3-6-6 | 41 | |||
| ย Arsenal | 28 | 9 | 13 | 6 | 40 | 36 | 4 | 7-5-3 | 2-8-3 | 40 | |||
| ย Burnley | 29 | 11 | 6 | 12 | 34 | 40 | -6 | 7-2-6 | 4-4-6 | 39 | |||
| ย Crystal Palace | 29 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 26 | 32 | -6 | 6-4-5 | 4-5-5 | 39 | |||
| ย Everton | 29 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 37 | 46 | -9 | 7-4-3 | 3-3-9 | 37 | |||
| ย Newcastle United | 29 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 25 | 41 | -16 | 5-6-3 | 4-2-9 | 35 | |||
| ย Southampton | 29 | 10 | 4 | 15 | 35 | 52 | -17 | 4-2-9 | 6-2-6 | 34 | |||
| ย Brighton & Hove Albion | 29 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 32 | 40 | -8 | 4-6-4 | 2-5-8 | 29 | |||
| ย West Ham United | 29 | 7 | 6 | 16 | 35 | 50 | -15 | 4-3-7 | 3-3-9 | 27 | |||
| ย Watford | 29 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 27 | 44 | -17 | 4-5-5 | 2-4-9 | 27 | |||
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| ย Bournemouth | 29 | 7 | 6 | 16 | 29 | 47 | -18 | 4-5-5 | 3-1-11 | 27 | |||
| ย Aston Villa | 28 | 7 | 4 | 17 | 34 | 56 | -22 | 5-2-6 | 2-2-11 | 25 | |||
| ย Norwich City | 29 | 5 | 6 | 18 | 25 | 52 | -27 | 4-3-7 | 1-3-11 | 21 | |||
