Wenger’s rattled men square up to struggling Citizens
ALL too familiar questions about courage, backbone and durability surround Arsenal ahead of their trip to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the Premier League this weekend.
Arsenal’s 14-game unbeaten run had lain strong foundations for a determined tilt at the festive fixure list, only for Arsene Wenger’s men to come unstuck in Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat at Everton.
Wenger was left to voice timeworn complaints about an opponent’s “physical” approach, after his side shrivelled amid the Goodison Park roar, but Petr Cech is desperate to show Arsenal are no pushovers.
“You have to pick yourself up,” the Arsenal goalkeeper told the club website.
“There is a big period coming up now with the games coming thick and fast and there is no time to dwell on the defeat.
“Sometimes I think it is best if after a big game you play another big game.
“You have opportunities to win. It’s a kind of a six-pointer. It’s probably a perfect game for us,” said Cech.
Arsenal’s defeat, courtesy of an 86th-minute header by Everton centre-back Ashley Williams, was their first in the league since a slapdash 4-3 loss at home to Liverpool on the season’s opening weekend. Compounding their disappointment, they now trail leaders Chelsea by six points, while all of the teams around them – Liverpool, City, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United – won their midweek matches.
If there is a consolation for Arsenal, it is that City are by no means firing on all cylinders themselves.
Guardiola’s “Citizens” went four home games without victory in the league prior to Wednesday’s 2-0 defeat of Watford and recently fell to damaging losses against Chelsea (3-1) and Leicester City (4-2).
In the absence of the suspended Sergio Aguero, Nolito started upfront against Watford and the Spanish forward is anticipating an open encounter at the Etihad Stadium tomorrow.
“It will be a hard game, but I guess Arsenal will come and try to get the three points, as that is their philosophy of football,” he said.
“It is also ours, so we will have to see who gets the points.”
City will be without midfielder Ilkay Gundogan after he injured his knee against Watford, with reports in Germany on Thursday suggesting he could miss the whole season with ligament damage.
Chelsea secured a 10th straight victory by winning 1-0 at Sunderland and can register 11 successive when we need to protect a bit more.”
Sixth-place United visit seventhplace West Bromwich Albion today buoyed after snatching a 2-1 win at Palace on Wednesday via Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s 88th-minute strike.
Bottom club Sunderland and struggling Middlesbrough also lie in wait for Jose Mourinho’s men over the festive season, but midfielder Ander Herrera says United can take nothing for granted.
“If we were in Spain I could tell you, ‘These are the games we are going to win’, but in the Premier League you never know,” the Spaniard said.
“If you think you are just going to beat West Brom, Middlesbrough or Sunderland, maybe you don’t do that, so you just think about the next game.” The fixtures are: Today: (5pm unless otherwise stated):
Crystal Palace v Chelsea (2.30pm), Stoke v Leicester, West Bromwich v Manchester United (7.30pm), Middlesbrough v Swansea, Sunderland v Watford, West Ham v Hull
Tomorrow : (6pm unless otherwise stated): Manchester City v Arsenal, Tottenham v Burnley, Bournemouth v Southampton (3.30pm)
Monday : Everton v Liverpool (10pm). — AFP