Arteta will call on Martinelli for more good form. — Reuters
ARSENAL face another acid test this weekend when Manchester City head to the Emirates.
The Gunners, tipped by more than a few to win the league next May and finally move past the three runners-up finishes they’ve managed in the last three seasons, came unstuck against Liverpool in the clash just before the international break.
In the late kick-off tomorrow, they come up against a Citizens side that have shown marked improvement over last season’s form and a couple of sloppy performances earlier this campaign.
Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench to score the goals in Arsenal’s Champions League triumph over Athletic Bilbao in Spain in midweek.
And a delighted Mikel Arteta will be hoping for more of the same tomorrow – although he might well urge his players to do the damage well before the final quarter of the match, as they did in Bilbao.
But it won’t be easy, one feels. Not after the way City dismantled Manchester United in the derby last weekend.
That 3-0 win was a polished display, and the margin of victory should have been much greater.
It was a throwback to the days not so long ago when the blue half of Manchester was the dominant club in England.
There is little doubt – if any at all – that Pep Guardiola is bedding in his new players quickly, and their pedigree is beginning to show.
We all know what this Man City team can do when they fire on all cylinders, and against United, they were exactly that: a smooth, slick machine, ruthless in front of goal.
Arsenal will do what they can to thwart the advances of Erling Haaland and company.
But whether they succeed is another matter – and it could prove harmful to their title bid if they don’t get it right against another Big Six side.
For their part, Man United will be out to restore some pride with a win over Chelsea, another of England’s richest clubs.
Ruben Amorim, despite spending £200mil in the off-season on his strike force, still appears to be battling to get things working the way he wants.
Embarrassingly, United sit 14th in the standings, and if they don’t see off Enzo Maresca’s Blues, one feels the Portuguese coach’s job may well be on the line.
It’s a sad situation for the club – but one they must face up to.
And as things stand, they’re in line for more pain unless they can counter Chelsea and make a fist of this fixture.
