Reasons why Arsenal does not need to play dedicatedly against Man City

This match is considered the biggest battle in the Premier League in recent years. This weekend, Arsenal will travel to Etihad to face Manchester City in a match that has been awaited for months - a confrontation that could decide the championship race.

However, when the two teams are 6 points apart and Man City still has one match to play, coach Mikel Arteta's team does not necessarily have to put all their strength into this match.

A showdown between the two leading teams at the end of the season is already rare, further pushing the media to push the match up like an early final of the season. But in the current context, with unstable form, Arsenal has no obligation to play an explosive match.

Pep Guardiola's Man City is in high form, losing only 1 of their last 19 matches in the Premier League and maintaining a familiar winning streak in the decisive stage.

Meanwhile, Arsenal is still struggling to regain the cohesion and confidence as in the early season. In that context, instead of chasing expectations from outside, the "Gunners" can choose a pragmatic approach, aiming for a draw. This is still enough to help them take another step on the journey to conquer their first title since 2004.

Arsenal's biggest problem is that they entered the most important match of the season with the worst form since the beginning of the season. The decline at the wrong time caused doubts to return, leading to increasing anxiety in the fan community.

Arteta's team has just disappointed by losing to Bournemouth in the Premier League. This is an alarming result, just a week after they were shockingly eliminated from the FA Cup by Southampton. Previously, Arsenal also lost in the Carabao Cup final against Man City, thereby giving a significant psychological advantage to their opponent in the championship race.

The rare bright spot is Arsenal's qualification for the UEFA Champions League semi-finals after overcoming Sporting CP. However, the 0-0 draw in the second leg and the 1-0 aggregate victory are not enough to bring confidence that they have regained the necessary level to face a Man City in high form.

According to Opta statistics, April is also Arteta's least effective period at Arsenal with a win rate of only 44%. Conversely, this is the time when Guardiola achieves the highest efficiency, with a win rate of up to 79%.

Therefore, the upcoming match is an opportunity for Arsenal to return to basic values and promote their inherent strengths - a physically fit playing style, ready to collide when needed and maximize set pieces.

In the context that attacking options such as Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli have not reached high form, Arteta is likely to choose a closer and more pragmatic approach.

At least, the "Gunners" can still rely on the most solid defense in the league with 15 clean sheets, along with Declan Rice's mobility and endurance in midfield to aim for a positive result - similar to the 0-0 draw against Man City in March 2024.

In such a game, central defender Gabriel Magalhaes can completely become a factor to make a difference at both ends of the field, especially in set pieces.

The match may not be attractive and it is difficult to please neutral fans. However, with their current form, if Arsenal chooses to play head-to-head with Man City, they are likely to pay a heavy price.

Guardiola affirmed that everything will end if Man City cannot defeat Arsenal this weekend. A draw will help the London team maintain a 6-point gap with the opponent when the season is only 5 rounds away, while Man City's postponed match is no longer very meaningful.

The Spanish strategist's statement may also be related to the remaining schedule of the two teams. Arsenal is in a certain advantage when all opponents after this round are in the bottom half of the Premier League table, including Newcastle United, Fulham, West Ham United, Burnley and Crystal Palace.

Meanwhile, Man City still faces a more difficult schedule. They will successively face Everton and Brentford - two teams competing for a European cup spot - before meeting Aston Villa, who are likely to finish in the top 5, in the final round.

Despite having impressive form, Man City once showed signs of stagnation when they were held to draws continuously by Nottingham Forest and West Ham in the Premier League more than a month ago.