Pressure is mounting on Arsenal and Mikel Arteta to finally get the north London side over the line in the title race, but Manchester City are looming once again.
Mikel Arteta and Josep Guardiola battle for the Premier League title again (Image: Glyn KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta has been in this position before, which is perhaps the reason for so many questions surrounding Arsenal’s title challenge.
By the time Sunday’s final against Manchester City begins, Arsenal will have been at the top of the Premier League for 198 days. It’s not as bad as the 2022/23 season, when they stayed in first place for 248 days, the most for a team without a title. City cornered them again in 2023/24. Even after beating the title in the past, this time will feel even worse and crueler.
That’s why Arsenal must stand up and be counted on Sunday to regain belief and confidence ahead of a season on the brink. Josep Guardiola’s City have been playing with some flair, but Arsenal appear to have hit a wall at just the wrong time.
Amidst the despair and gloom, it’s easy to forget that Arsenal have been the best team in the Premier League for much of the season, reached the semi-finals of the Champions League and remain in pole position in the title race.
read more: Mikel Arteta hits back at Arsenal critics with Man City pledge: ‘We are here to win’read more: Arsenal announce Bukayo Saka’s injury status as four key players await Manchester City’s green light
Even if City win on Sunday, Opta gives Arsenal a 69 per cent chance of winning the title. Arsenal have an 89% chance of a draw. If they win, it will be 98% in Arsenal’s favor.
But Arsenal are a team at risk of falling into the doldrums again, so they need an assertive performance above all else. They look tired. Their injury list continues to grow. However, they still have a great chance to win the title.
Asked to rank Sunday’s importance among all the games he has managed so far, Arteta said:
“We earned the right to be in this position, the right to try, the chance to win, the opportunity to win on Sunday against probably the best team and best coach in the history of this league.
Arsenal suffered a shock defeat to Bournemouth last week
“It’s a huge honor. We can’t wait to play and we’re going to prepare to win. That’s for sure. We think it’s a big opportunity for us.”
Arteta this week secured the club’s first consecutive Champions League semi-final appearances. Typically, it was more of a goalless draw than a morale-boosting victory ahead of City. However, the Arsenal manager still looked to the positives.
Arteta said: “It was a great night. It’s a big thing to be part of a top-class club in Europe and it really gave us a boost. And we haven’t been there that often so we really cherish that.”
“We give a lot of credit to our players. We have to use that fuel, that energy that they gave us on Sunday for the big game that we have to play.”
Arteta spoke about playing with “vigour” and “without fear” against Sporting Lisbon. That wasn’t the case at all. However, Arteta has used small tricks to spice up his training throughout the season.
During a training session a few weeks ago, players used pens to balance the ball between their heads. This week, in line with Arteta’s pre-match message, they lit a small fire at their training ground, perhaps as a symbol to kindle any negativity and brighten up the season once again.
Manchester City defeated Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final last month (Image: Andrew Fosker/Shutterstock)
Arteta added: “We try to prepare for the matches in the best possible way, with different themes for each match, but it depends on what we do.
“Having a theme doesn’t mean there’s something big or it has to be. Every game has its own unique aspects and sometimes you have to match what you want to see from your team. That doesn’t change.”
“It’s part of the preparation, sometimes it’s more visual, sometimes it’s simpler. We’re very clear about what we’re playing for, what’s in front of us, the opportunities we want to achieve. That’s it.”
It’s time for them to speak on the pitch.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
World Cup Legends – Special Edition now on sale
Nothing creates legends like the World Cup. This new special edition publication celebrates the heroes of Earth’s greatest sporting event.
Buy now here or from participating supermarkets, high street retailers and independent newsagents from Wednesday 25 March 2026. Online orders will be shipped starting Wednesday, March 25th, with shipping and packaging charges applicable.
