"I see a sense of revenge" - Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta issues warning to Manchester City ahead of Premier League title decider
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has fired a warning to title rivals Manchester City ahead of the two sides' crunch clash.
The Gunners are top of the table but have had their lead over second-placed Manchester City cut to four points last weekend. Arteta's side were pegged back in a 2-2 draw with West Ham United on Sunday (April 16).
Arsenal's title challengers have a game in hand, and the two lock horns next Wednesday (April 26) at the Etihad. The Gunners' draw with West Ham came a week after a disappointing 2-2 draw with Liverpool.
Arteta alluded to his side's recent slump by insisting that revenge is on their minds (via football.london):
“I see a sense of revenge and determination to get it even better and that it’s not enough, and you have to tweak it and demand more and more of each other."
Arsenal face Southampton on Friday (April 21) looking to get back to winning ways after successive draws. Arteta continued by touching on discussions that have taken place in the Gunners' camp:
“You can tell from the way they talked, the way they communicated in the meetings we had. The discussions to understand how we move forward after that."
The North Londoners will move seven points ahead of Manchester City with a win over Southampton. Pep Guardiola's men will not play in the Premier League this weekend, as they face Sheffield United in the FA Cup semifinal on Sunday.
Arteta's Gunners will also be out for revenge against the Cityzens following their two defeats earlier this season. They suffered a 1-0 loss to their title rivals in the FA Cup fourth round in January. Arsenal were then beaten 3-1 by City at the Emirates in the league a month later.
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry urges former side not to be emotional in title race with Manchester City
Arsenal's passion has been on display throughout the campaign as they have become unlikely title challengers. The Gunners headed into the season off the back of a disappointing end to their 2021-22 campaign, narrowly missing out on a top-four finish to arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Arteta's side have faltered recently, dropping points against West Ham and Liverpool. The players' emotions have got the better of them, which their legendary former striker has touched on.
Henry, who won the Premier League twice, warned his former side against becoming too emotional, telling CBS Sports:
"From Arsenal's point of view, since the beginning of the season, I have been saying: you don't win a title on emotions. You can win a cup, the Champions League, maybe even the World Cup. But across 38 games, you can't be too emotional about it, and recently we've been too emotional."
Henry went on to urge his side to stay focused on the task at hand rather than to become fixated on Manchester City:
"You can feel the emotion coming, but don't be emotional. There's a difference. Stay calm. We are still ahead of Man City, but I am saying they need to get rid of the emotional part of the game and concentrate on what they have to do. We are still ahead."
The Gunners last won the league in the 2003-04 season.