Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta is feeling positive about the team’s chances of winning the Premier League after a thrilling 1-0 victory against Manchester City. Gabriel Martinelli’s late goal, which deflected off Nathan Ake, marked a significant breakthrough for Arsenal, as it ended a 12-game losing streak against City in the league. The atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium was electric, with jubilant scenes both on the pitch and among the sell-out crowd of 60,000.
While the Gunners had previously beaten City on penalties in the Community Shield, this win held much more weight. It came in a crucial clash between last season’s champions and their closest rivals. Arsenal had once held an eight-point lead at the top of the table in April, only to collapse and watch City secure a third successive title and an incredible treble.
Instead of allowing the pain from that disappointment to break them, Arteta and his players are using it as motivation to pursue their first title in two decades. Their hunger for success was evident in the latter stages of the match, as Arsenal pushed City back in search of a winner. The champions, seemingly content with a draw, were taken aback by Arsenal’s resilience.
Arteta believes this victory could be a turning point in their development and sends a powerful message to the team to continue believing in their abilities. He recognizes the maturity displayed by the players and credits their experiences, including the two defeats to City last season, for their growth.
With this win, Arsenal now sit in second place, two points ahead of City in third. Tottenham currently leads the pack on goal difference. This victory has allowed Arsenal to prove that they can go head-to-head with Guardiola’s star-studded team, restricting them to just four shots and successfully preventing their trademark passing and movement.
Guardiola, on the other hand, attributes City’s recent dip in form to the absence of suspended midfielder Rodri. City have now lost two consecutive league games for the first time since December 2018, with three defeats in their last four matches in all competitions. Despite this setback, Guardiola remains optimistic, drawing inspiration from last season when City overtook Arsenal in the title race. He sees being behind as an opportunity to chase the leaders, and has faith in his players’ ability to fight.