Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are aiming for their first Premier League title in more than 20 years after receiving significant reinforcements after Manchester City’s goalless draw with Sunderland.
Arsenal were given a huge double boost in their bid to win this season’s Premier League title after they were held to a goalless draw at the Stadium of Light. On Thursday, contenders Manchester City faced Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
The result will be disappointing enough for Josep Guardiola, but the Spanish tactician will also have to deal with fresh injury concerns. Nico Gonzalez, who had been standing in for Rodri, replaced the returning Ballon d’Or winner.
Savinho, who was in good form, was replaced by Jeremy Doku early in the second half. These two injuries will undoubtedly cause some anxiety for Guardiola, while Gunners fans may be experiencing something of a schadenfreude.
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Guardiola saw Erling Haaland and Phil Foden miss opportunities inside the penalty area against the Black Cats. The pair have scored 26 goals this season, but neither has been able to surpass Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roofs.
After the game, the City manager admitted: “It’s a mystery. There’s no answer to your question. We produced a lot against that team, especially in the second half.”
“We struggled in the first half because of the opponent’s press, but Rodri gave us an extra pass and calmly broke the line. After that, we were able to run. We were much better in the second half.”
It was the first time City had drawn in 10 games. The stalemate allowed the Gunners to extend their lead over their Premier League title rivals to four points.
But there are still many hurdles for north London residents. Throughout the season, Mikel Arteta’s injury list was extensive.
The return of Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz is a boost, but other parts of the team are still lacking. Declan Rice looks set to be sidelined for a further period of time, while Riccardo Calafioli is a big doubt for the next game against Bournemouth.
Cristian Mosquera, who joined the team in the summer, is also likely to be sidelined through January, and young genius Max Daumann is also likely to be out for a while.
The pressure is about to increase for Arsenal as they face a grueling schedule with six crucial games in just 17 days. The Gunners travel to Bournemouth on Saturday before hosting Liverpool next Thursday.
The away game against Portsmouth in the FA Cup will be played on Sunday 11 January, followed by the League Cup semi-final first leg against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. They have a game against Nottingham Forest on January 17th, before heading to Italy on January 20th to face Inter Milan in the Champions League.
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