Sunday’s 2-2 draw between Arsenal and Manchester City at the Etihad was notable for many reasons, hostility chief among them. The encounter was much more combustible than it ever has been.
Arsenal have been working their way towards slaying the pale blue dragon for a few seasons now. In truth, Manchester City have been swatting them away for years. Despite Arteta’s team challenging them for the Premier League, they have still felt like the better team.
That may be changing. Manchester City haven’t prevailed over Arsenal since April 2023, and it seems the beast must now resort to breathing fire.
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Title-defining games between these two teams take place with Liverpool still very much in the memory. City VS Liverpool wasn’t a rivalry based on geography, or the fact they disliked each other. It was a rivalry of excellence, and the games were always exciting.
Those clashes were akin to two gunmen emptying their artillery until one of them was left standing. When apprentice Arteta faces master Guardiola, it’s a different matter entirely.
In recent years, City VS Arsenal has been a chess match between two managers who know each other well. Arteta has found joy playing defensively against City – partly because that’s a sensible thing to do and partly because his team haven’t quite had the same firepower as their opponents.
When Pep Guardiola kicked one of the dugout chairs in a frustrated response to Riccardo Calafiori’s equaliser on Sunday, we knew something had changed. City now see Arsenal as equals and a worried about what they can do.
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Crucially, the Gunners have started to see themselves at City’s equals as well. Previously, they would have capitulated after conceding early at the Etihad. Previously, they would have capitulated after going down to ten men.
They didn’t capitulate, instead they defended their lead bravely and were so unlucky to concede a late equaliser. They know they can stop City scoring if they need to, and the City players hate this. Folded within City’s many in-game and postgame protestations is a tacit admission their opponents got under their skin.
After being humbled by them so many times, it appears Arsenal have City’s number.
