In the match at the Etihad last season, Manchester City and Arsenal drew 0-0. After this draw, the "Gunners" still kept a 1-point gap with The Citizens but were 2 points behind leaders Liverpool.
In the end, Arsenal lost the title to Man City by 2 points. And Rodri felt the Gunners' decision to accept a point at the Etihad cost them. Previously, many opinions said that Arsenal must defeat Man City to be worthy of becoming champions.
"To be honest, I think it's there. It's the mentality. When Arsenal came here, they faced us at the Etihad, I saw them and thought they didn't want to beat us. They just wanted a draw. And with that mentality, I don't think we'll do it the same way," the Spaniard said when Man City won the Premier League last season.
Those thoughts echoed when the two teams met at the Etihad this season. Although it is only round 6, this match will decide the whole season.
In the last meeting at the Etihad in March, Man City controlled the ball more but Arsenal also defended solidly. Therefore, Pep Guardiola's team only had one shot on target in the whole match.
The Gunners have applied the same plan when they visited Tottenham in the previous round. Arteta's side gave their opponents control, put their faith in their defence and waited patiently for their opportunity. And Gabriel's "golden" goal from a corner helped The Gunners get 3 points.
Some say that this is Arsenal's perfect preparation for the big match against Man City. In fact, the "Gunners" have played so resiliently for many months. They have not lost a single minute in the Premier League away from home in 2024, winning 9/10 matches. And their only incident during that time was the 0-0 draw with Man City.
One reason why Arsenal play so effectively away from home is the solidity of their centre-backs. They did not let the opponent have many gaps near the home team's penalty area.
Since the start of last season, only Crystal Palace and Sheffield have done better than Arsenal in this metric. However, both teams are in the bottom half, while the Gunners are competing for the title. This shows that Arteta has shifted his style from dominating to focusing on upgrading the defense.
Overall, Arteta has transformed Arsenal from a team that went 29 away games without a win against the "Big Six" teams into a team that has not lost any match since the start of last season. Changing tactics in these matches, especially in the absence of captain Martin Odegaard - one of Arsenal's best pressers, will be a bold move by Arteta.
However, looking at Man City's recent home record, Arsenal fans will certainly not be optimistic. Their last defeat at the Etihad was in November 2022. Meanwhile, Arsenal's last home win at Man City was in 2015.
