On March 31, 2024, Mikel Arteta left the Manchester City stadium with a 0-0 score, leading the team by one point. Premier League to the 30th round. It seemed like the most difficult feat for Arsenal to control until the end and be champions, 20 years after the mythical team of Invincible by Arsène Wenger, Thierry Henry, Bergkamp, Patrick Vieira or Robert Pires. But Aston Villa, three days later [33.ª]went to London to win. Although Arsenal won the next five games, including at Old Trafford, City did the same and Guardiola won his fourth title.
This preamble is crucial to define the burden that, this Sunday, Arsenal will have on their shoulders, for a new personality test (4:30 pm DAZN1). A consolidated team, with fascinating football, dominating much of the playing time, but which has failed in the main moments.
This Sunday there is a Lisbon derby – of course, not to be missed –, but with much more implications for 2nd place, while the real title game will be at the Etihad, in Premier Leaguewith just five days to go.
Guardiola arrives at this stage of the season intractable and will have the freshest squad. The defeat in the round of 16 of the Champions League with Real Madrid had the power to guarantee total internal focus and it has already been seen that the aftermath was positive: last week the citizens They thrashed Chelsea and before that defeated Liverpool, 4-0, in the FA Cup. This is after having won the League Cup, precisely against Arsenal.
In 2023/24, the gunners they had a comfortable lead and let it slip away, this year there were similar contours when City drew with Sunderland, Brighton and Chelsea in January. Few could have expected that they would receive Arsenal with a six-point deficit and even one game less, to regularize with Crystal Palace, just before the last round.
Leave a Reply