“He wants to hurt City” – Kolo Toure believes Arsenal duo will be hungry to beat Manchester City
Former Arsenal defender Kolo Toure believes Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko will be driven to topple former club Manchester City when the two sides clash in the Premier League on Wednesday (26 April)
With the Gunners' title dreams hanging in the balance, the pressure is on for a victory that could propel them to the top of the table. The added tension of Jesus and Zinchenko returning to face the Manchester City side that sold them last summer only serves to amplify the excitement surrounding this titanic clash.
While City's decision to offload the pair to north London raised few eyebrows at the time, nobody could have predicted the transformative impact they would have on the Gunners' fortunes. Under Mikel Arteta's guidance, Jesus, Zinchenko, and the rest of Arsenal's squad have emerged as genuine title contenders.
How Man City and Arsenal looked the last time Arsenal won at the Etihad in 2015 ⏪ https://t.co/EHHYL9i52s
Toure, in conversation with The Daily Mail, shared his belief that the two former Manchester City players are determined to prove the defending champions wrong for selling them. He said (via TBR Football):
"Those two players want to hurt City and show how big a mistake they made to let them leave. Jesus is looking at Erling Haaland and thinking, 'They took this guy to play my position. He's fantastic but I will show them.'"
A reminder of our last meeting with Arsenal in the @premierleague 👊 https://t.co/jU5xnz1Hbt
Toure believes Zinchenko will echo the same sentiment and added:
"Zinchenko the same, 'You didn't rate me highly? You thought I was a squad player? I want to show you I'm better than the players you have.' They're going to give everything. You can already see right from the start of the season Zinchenko is the one who always brings the team together because he wants to hurt City."
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta rallies Gunners to seize "incredible opportunity" against Manchester City
Arteta has called upon his Premier League-leading squad to embrace the 'incredible opportunity' ahead of them as they face closest rivals Manchester City on Wednesday.
Although the Gunners maintain a five-point lead over second-place City, they have played two more games than the reigning champions, adding pressure to the upcoming match. Arsenal's recent form has been less than ideal, with three consecutive league draws sparking concerns over their ability to secure the club's first Premier League title in 19 years.
Nevertheless, Arteta, who has witnessed his team secure several impressive away victories this season, expressed optimism during Tuesday's pre-match news conference. He said (via Punch):
"It is going to be a tough night and challenge, yes, but the opportunity is incredible for us. We knew from the beginning — you want to win a Premier League, you have to go to Spurs and you have to beat them, you have to go to Chelsea and you have to beat them."
The Arsenal manager continued:
"This is what we have been doing, that is why we are here and now we have to go to City and we have to beat them — you want to be champion, you have to win these matches, it is as simple as that."