Arsenal are looking to win the Premier League title ahead of Manchester City, but the defender has played for both sides and it’s clear which one will be tougher to play against.
Kyle Walker claims Man City are still harder to play on the day than Arsenal
Kyle Walker admits Manchester City are still a more difficult team to play against than Arsenal, despite trailing the Gunners by nine points in the Premier League title race.
The North Londoners are keen favorites to win the top flight following their 2004 success, ending a 22-year wait. They have been top of the table for much of the campaign, although their set-piece-heavy tactics may not please everyone.
City have struggled to regain their previous consistency and continue to drop points. However, once they got into top gear they looked attractive and Walker, now at Burnley, had to play against both teams.
Arsenal have been the pacesetters and most consistent team all season, but the former City right-back insists they are not the most difficult team to play against.
He told Sky Bet: “No, Arsenal are not difficult to play against this season compared to Manchester City. City know what they are doing and it is ingrained in them because they have a core group of players who know what the manager needs and wants. So if you isolate the full-backs one-on-one, the wingers will probably win the game nine times out of 10.”
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“I’ve worked with Mikel Arteta at Manchester City and Mikel learned a lot from Pep in the way he coaches. It’s the formation, up, back, through. Set the ball. Don’t turn the ball on.”
The Gunners have proven to be masters of set-piece situations. His success from corner kicks and free kicks into the box has won him many matches and he continues to set records for goals from dead ball situations. But Mr Walker brushed aside the criticism they faced, insisting they were simply taking advantage of the opportunity they had.
Arsenal proved to be masters of set-pieces (Image: Getty Images)
He said: “If you look at Arsenal for example, they’re a long-throw, set-piece team. Everyone talks about Arsenal. They’re a set-piece team. In football you’re allowed to do that. If you get a corner, you have to take a corner and if you score from a corner, well done.”
Walker admitted it was “horrifying” trying to defend the opposition’s set-pieces, adding: “This movement is not normal in football. When you see big guys like Gabriel and (William) Saliba running at 6ft 4in, you’re always looking at your back.
“I remember scoring a goal at (Manchester) City. He was trying to touch me and I knocked him away and suddenly, one move over there, one move behind, I lost him. At Manchester City we were in great form, but Pep Guardiola put me on top of Gabriel just to hold him down. You’d think he didn’t score this time. And the goal.”
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