Are Arsenal mentally strong enough to beat Manchester City today? | OneFootball

Sometimes, you need luck in sport—luck you can’t control.

We really could have done without playing after Liverpool this weekend. It’s hard enough to beat the champions without the added pressure. That pressure comes from the league leaders winning at Bournemouth, meaning we have to win just to keep the gap at six points. Anything less, and the difference between the two sides could be in double digits, with the Merseyside Derby looming in midweek.

When I say we struggle to beat Man City in the league, our 1-0 win in this fixture last season was our first success in a decade. What are the chances of three points in must-win conditions if you’ve beaten a team once in your last 17 Premier League meetings?

Normally, a draw against Pep Guardiola wouldn’t be the end of the world, but you sense we can’t afford to blink before Liverpool’s game in hand. That’s what Arne Slot will be telling his players in every meeting. While he won’t say it publicly, they could wrap up the title very soon.

What frustrates me is that this isn’t a great Liverpool side, yet we’ve failed to put them under any real pressure. They’ve slipped up, but we haven’t taken advantage, meaning every week they play with the freedom of having room for error. The Dutchman would have made sure there was no complacency on Saturday, reminding his players that a win on the south coast would leave us facing the team that has dominated the league—crippled by the fear of failure.

There’s been a lot of debate this week about what certain pundits have said. But one conversation I do agree with is that every week we play on the edge—one mistake away from a crisis, one more blow from being knocked out.

Outside of the North London Derby, the atmosphere at our stadium has slipped back to the days when it didn’t take much for anxiety to grow in the stands. That’s because Gooners can sense we’re not playing at the level of champions—and certainly aren’t entertained.

Of course, our owners could have helped. Had they demanded a striker be signed at the start of the month, maybe we wouldn’t be out of the FA Cup, wouldn’t be 2-0 down in the Carabao Cup, and would be closer to Liverpool.

It would almost be cruel if they bought someone on deadline day—when it’s too late.

Long term, though, it would be massive for our development if we could build the mindset to get over the line.

History shows that under Mikel Arteta when it’s squeaky bum time, we lack the leaders to handle the occasion. We have a fantastic young team, and I do think one year it will happen for us—if we keep the group together. But we still need to prove we have the mentality to cope when the lights are brightest.

Mentally are we strong enough to beat Man City in a must-win scenario?

Dan Smith