Arsenal are aware that defeat away to Manchester City next weekend will intensify the race for the Premier League title, with Wayne Rooney speaking out about the big match.
Wayne Rooney believes Manchester City have the advantage over Arsenal ahead of Sunday’s clash (Image: BBC/The Wayne Rooney Show)
Manager Wayne Rooney has urged Arsenal to “play dirty” in Sunday’s championship clash with Manchester City, after insisting that Pep Guardiola and his side have a mental advantage over their rivals.
The Premier League’s top two sides will face off in a mouth-watering clash at the Etihad on Sunday, but City know that a win would mean they will be just three points clear of Arsenal and face the Gunners. Arsenal’s momentum continues after defeating Chelsea on Sunday, just 24 hours after being thrashed by Bournemouth on their own turf.
Mikel Arteta has led Arsenal to three successive second-place finishes in the Premier League, twice missing out on the title to City.
However, concerns about his ability to see the job through development disappeared in the wake of their huge lead at the Premier League summit, with Rooney saying City have the psychological advantage going into the weekend.
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He told The Wayne Rooney Show: “I think City will have an advantage in that respect (mentally) just purely because of the manager and the players they have. I think they will be a bit more level-headed than the Arsenal players.”
“They’re going to worry, because when you get into a groove and lose a few games, you start thinking, ‘Where’s the next goal? Where’s the next win?'” That negative mindset has a big impact on performance. ”
Manchester City beat Chelsea on Sunday to close the gap on Arsenal (Image: Ryan Pierse, Getty Images)
Arsenal lost to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley two weeks ago, but had won four consecutive league games before suffering a surprise 2-1 defeat at home to Bournemouth.
Arteta’s side salvaged a late draw with a comeback earlier in the season, but they need to beat City in their own backyard if they are to put new distance between themselves and their nearest challengers.
Arsenal and Mikel Arteta know defeat at the Etihad could be devastating for their title hopes (Image: Getty Images)
And Rooney believes Arsenal may need to “play dirty” to do so, saying the north London side need to be “tough to break down, make sure there are no gaps between the lines and attack on the breaks”.
He added: “Regardless of whether the fans like that kind of football or not, we have to do everything to stop City from winning. We need to be resilient enough to stop City from scoring.”
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