Arsenal: What Arteta can do so wrong against Manchester City

Things Mikel Arteta and Arsenal can do so wrong against Manchester City:

• Allow Manchester City take too many touches on the ball.
• Sit back and hope for a counter attack.
• Fail to be clinical when the chance falls to them.
• Show Manchester City too much respect by giving them spaces to do what they do best; pass.

Manchester City versus Arsenal at 4: 30 PM is where everyone ought to be for what promises to be an exciting premier clash between two rivals who cannot risk dropping points when they face off at the Etihad.

It is both a match up for glory, for bragging rights, and of course, a chance to finally move further up the table in a title challenge that has become the best it has ever been in years.

Despite the hostilities between both sides, there is a lot of fear going into this clash; you lose, you snooze from the title conversation. And with Manchester City being here before, all eyes fall on Arsenal as the underdog side.

What can be done to give the Gunners the advantage for once while moving to the Etihad to battle the almighty Pep Guardiola?

Now that’s the question. However, the better question is; ‘what shouldn’t Mikel Arteta do this time when facing Man City?” or better still, ‘what can Arteta do so wrong against Guardiola to hand Manchester City the win?’

It all boils down to what every premier league manager or team aside Chelsea and Liverpool has done this season against the Premier League champions — show City too much respect.

The one mistake Arsenal could make before and after kickoff is to head into the game resigned to the notion that they are the underdogs against Manchester City and surrender all possession and every statistics on offer to the hosts.

Though the tactics worked well in the Gunners’ favor over at the Emirates earlier in the season, where Arteta’s team ran off 1-0 winners thanks to a deflection in City’s goal, lightning will not strike twice if the North London side intends to concede things to fate.

Like Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino have both shown this season when facing the Spaniard and his City team, taking the game to Manchester City is a game changer.

And if Mikel Arteta must do something right, it is that Arsenal should be looking at taking advantage of Manchester City‘s defensive frailties.

Manchester City do not want teams coming at them hence their reliance on possession based football. Cutting their passing lanes through a quick press and counter press denies the Cityzens their one advantage at getting the ball through the lines to cause teams trouble.

There is also the one rule every team has failed to adhere to whenever facing the premier league champions; take your chances when you have them, miss them and you are at Guardiola’s mercy.