Olaleye IDOWU
The Gunners have struggled to pull away from an uninterested chasing pack in the Premier League title race.
Manchester City’s 2-0 victory over Wolves on Saturday was their first win in four fixtures.
After a couple of draws, City were beaten 2-0 at Manchester United last Sunday.
Aston Villa also drew 0-0 at Crystal Palace, before losing 1-0 at home to Everton.
In all of these, Arsenal failed to establish a bigger lead. Their 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest meant they were seven points clear instead of nine.
However, City’s win over Wolves, means that they have now cut that advantage to four points. Villa could also eat into Arsenal’s lead as they play Newcastle before kick off at the Emirates.
So, this will be a great chance for Mikel Arteta’s men to respond to their rivals, with a statement win against another Premier League heavyweight.
Michael Carrick’s first game in charge saw United beat City 2-0 at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils looked a different team against Pep Guardiola’s men, defending compactly and breaking forward to attack with pace and purpose.
They will be hoping to provide a huge test for Arsenal, who have not been at their very best lately, but need to make a big statement in the title race with a win.
