Premier League: Top and bottom at Christmas – what does it mean?
There will be a feeling of deja vu for many Arsenal fans. Leading the Premier League at Christmas before losing to a ruthless Pep Guardiola side is something Arsenal have become somewhat accustomed to.
Having a 7-point lead over Manchester City reduced to two in five games will not give them confidence either.
“We are at the top again but we don’t watch City or other teams too much,” Bukayo Saka said. “We’re in control now. We know if we win every week we’ll stay there.”
Arteta added: “The only thing we can control is our own performance and results and we know how long it takes and how tough this league is. That’s it.”
It’s clear that Manchester City have history on their side. Guardiola has won the Premier League title six times, the Bundesliga title three times with Bayern Munich and the La Liga title three times with Barcelona. Arteta has no league championship as a manager.
Guardiola’s squad is full of Premier League winners, full of players who know what it means to finish a season strongly; None of the Arsenal squad have won the Premier League, but they have had the experience of losing the lead over the last few seasons.
So why shouldn’t this season be different? Manchester City look a far cry from the ruthless team of previous seasons and have already lost four games this season compared to Arsenal’s two defeats.
“We will be there. If they follow me, we will be there, but we need to improve,” Guardiola said.
“I know the level in Europe, in the Premier League, I know Arsenal and other teams and how tough they are. That’s not enough.
“There is spirit, last season we didn’t have the spirit, the aggression or the hunger; we didn’t have all the qualities they needed. It’s not about the highlights or how good the moves are, there’s something from within that will allow us to bounce back after the Club World Cup.”
City’s attack is fluid, scoring 10 more goals than Arsenal but conceding six more; You sense that the title race could be defined by whether City’s goals can eclipse Arsenal’s solidity.
