Premier League | Clinical City has the wherewithal to rock Arsenal’s aspirations

Three shrewd tacticians from the Iberian Peninsula, but only one can get his hands on the coveted English top-flight trophy.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is on a mission to make the seemingly impossible possible. Three consecutive runner-up finishes in the Premier League, including two near misses, must have given him many sleepless nights. And come the culmination of the 2025-26 season, he simply would not be satisfied with anything other than the top prize.

Challenging him again for the prestigious silverware is an ever-hungry Pep Guardiola, who is experiencing a rare lull given the lofty standards he has set for himself at Manchester City.

Guardiola believes that his team will be active in the championship race right till the end if most of his players remain injury-free.
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Guardiola, who was Arteta’s “master” during the latter’s spell as an assistant coach at City, is now battling to prevent his once apprentice from “mastering” the league.

Also in the equation, as a dark horse, is Unai Emery. His much-improved Aston Villa side has been quietly punching above its weight despite not having the riches of the self-proclaimed ‘Big Six’ clubs. While Villa cannot be discounted in the home stretch, Arsenal and City are expected to make it a two-horse race when the campaign reaches its climax.

Little room for slip-ups

Heading into the final third of the season, Arsenal is perched at the top with 57 points from 26 matches, four points more than the second-placed City. But the Londoners would be well aware that there is little room for slip-ups after the recent run of events.

At one point during City’s visit to Anfield, Liverpool provided an indirect ‘assist’ to Arsenal for extending the cushion to nine points. But City being City made a comeback of epic proportions to reduce the deficit to six points. They later cheered when Arteta’s men were stung by the ‘bees’ of Brentford in the 1-1 stalemate.

But the Arsenal gaffer, overcoming bumps in the road, is focused on “unlocking the first big trophy” of his reign. “It is psychologically important to do it. We will then have the belief that we can do it [in the future]. To achieve it [win big trophies], the key thing is to master it. Now we are going to do it,” Arteta told TNTSports a few months ago.

The 43-year-old truly understands the importance of having “winners” in the squad and the big roles they have to play in the closely contested duel. After all, Arsenal is enduring a five-year trophy drought, having last gone the distance in the FA Cup in 2020. When it comes to the domestic league, the wait has extended beyond two decades, with 2004’s ‘golden’ champions still being a point of reference in discussions.

Arteta is on a mission to make the seemingly impossible possible
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City, meanwhile, is led by a serial winner in Guardiola — a manager who clinches trophies for fun — and has a playing contingent packed with title victors. However, the squad that is undergoing transition is a work in refinement; City teams of the past would have already punished Arsenal for its blips and occupied the top spot on the table.

Squad depth a key factor

While possessing the ability to deal with crests and troughs is utterly important in a marathon like the title race, another key ingredient for success is squad depth. Having plenty of options to choose from is a boon when games come thick and fast.

In that sense, City has a group of players who are blessed with sheer quality, to the extent that it can field two separate starting XIs in back-to-back matches if needed.

For instance, take a look at the goalkeeping department. In the summer transfer window, City was successful in its pursuit of James Trafford, a young shotstopper with immense potential. But when Paris Saint Germain’s Gianluigi Donnarumma became available in the market, the Manchester side did not think twice to purchase him and make him the No. 1 between the sticks. As a result, Trafford, a former City academy graduate, has had to become the Italian custodian’s understudy and bide his time.

Donnarumma has already proved his worth with match-affecting actions, none more so than the acrobatic save he pulled off in the fag end of the contest against Liverpool. Just when Guardiola had his head in hands after Alexis Mac Allister’s strike took a deflection in its journey to the top-left corner, Donnarumma used his big frame to preserve City’s lead.

Likewise, the eight-time PL winner bolstered its backline with the scalp of Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. A move was made in double-quick time after it became apparent that the versatile Josko Gvardiol, who can operate both as a central defender and left-back, would likely miss the final laps of the campaign.

Guehi has taken to City like a fish to water and in the company of Ruben Dias and Abdukodir Khusanov, will be vital at the heart of the defence. The addition of Antoine Semenyo to an already potent attack, led by ‘goal machine’ Erling Haaland, is a statement in itself while Nico Gonzalez has shown he can efficiently fill in for Rodri.

Guardiola believes that his team will be active in the championship race right till the end if most of his players remain injury-free. “We can be there [fighting for the title] if the players stay fit. When we play every three or four days with only a few players, we cannot compete,” Guardiola said, adding that he would prefer to be leading rather than chasing.

As for Arteta’s side, it finally has a squad that can tackle the unforgiving schedule, thanks to a host of summer signings [Kepa Arrizabalaga, Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres, Piero Hincapie (on loan), Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Norgaard and Martin Zubimendi].

“We have gone to another level this season. Last season, we had only 13 or 14 outfield players competing for positions in the XI, but it was not enough. This season, we increased the number and certainly the quality. We did that to improve the versatility of the team. We added pieces that we did not have, players who can complement each other in a really powerful way. They have adapted really well,” Arteta said.

What lies ahead

Both teams are well equipped to face what is ahead of them. In terms of difficulty, they have fairly similar run-ins — City and Arsenal will cross swords at the Etihad Stadium in April in a potential title-deciding clash besides taking on Chelsea once each.

London derby rival Tottenham Hotspur, currently in turmoil, will be eager to bounce back and rock Arsenal’s title aspirations, in manager Igor Tudor’s first game in-charge. With City set to finish its domestic season with a home encounter against Villa, it would hope for an encore; on the final matchday four years ago, City, in commentator Peter Drury’s words, miraculously turned “catastrophe into cacophonic joy” with a stellar late surge.

Amidst all this soon-to-be drama is the League Cup final between Arsenal and City next month. And the result could have a bearing on what unfolds in the league. “I think Arsenal is the best team and will go on to win the league, but the Carabao Cup final will be huge for both. If City win that, there will be talks of ‘oh, Arsenal cannot get over the line.’ If City can cut the lead to one or two points by that time and win the Carabao Cup, it will psychologically be huge for Pep’s men. It is good for City that it is playing Arsenal in the League Cup final,” former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports.

Overall form favours Arsenal, but past experience of pipping Arteta’s crew tilts it City’s way. Will the Londoners spread their wings and ‘fly better’, just like the club’s lead sponsor? Or will City resume normal service by regaining the crown it once held on to for four years on the bounce? It is time to fasten your seatbelts for what is expected to be a thrilling finale.