Manchester City expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany believes that Arsenal "aren't the most ambitious team in big games" and will be "very comfortable sitting back" in Sunday's Premier League showdown against Pep Guardiola's side at the Etihad Stadium.
The Gunners have been the Citizens' closest domestic challengers over the past two years, but Mikel Arteta's men are yet to break City's grip on the top-flight title, finishing two points behind Guardiola's men last season.
Man City celebrated winning an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title in 2023-24 and have since made a perfect start to the new campaign, currently sitting pretty at the summit after winning each of their opening four matches by an aggregate score of 11-3.
However, the Citizens were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Inter Milan in their Champions League opener on Wednesday night, with the Italian giants providing a much sterner test for Guardiola's players.
Man City's mettle is set to be put to the test once again when they face an Arsenal outfit who themselves have enjoyed a strong start to the new season and are just two points further back in the Premier League standings.
The Gunners were also held to a goalless stalemate by Italian opposition in the Champions League, as they shared the spoils with Atalanta BC on Thursday, requiring a magnificent David Raya double save in the second half to claim a point.
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Arsenal have rightly received plenty of plaudits for their exceptional defensive displays this year and they have already begun the new season by keeping four clean sheets in five games across all competitions.
Their top-flight record on the road in 2024 has been particularly impressive, as they have won 10 and drawn one of their 11 Premier League away games, scoring 31 goals, conceding just three and keeping nine clean sheets in the process, while they have also not been trailing for a single minute during this run.
The Gunners played out a 0-0 draw with Man City at the Etihad Stadium in March of last season during this run, while they also kept the Citizens quiet at the Emirates Stadium where they won 1-0 in October 2023.
"Arsenal aren't the most ambitious team in big games"
The latest instalment of the top-of-the-table showdown between Man City and Arsenal on Sunday represents another early-season examination for both teams, and McInerney is expecting the Gunners to once again take a cautious approach.
Speaking exclusively to Sports Mole, McInerney said: "Arsenal and [Mikel] Arteta have made it pretty clear that they're very comfortable sitting back and making it pretty tight in big games.
"They aren't the most ambitious team in big games - and you can take that how you want to, you can take that as a dig at Arsenal if you want - but I'd see it as rather factual. They know what they're good at and they stick to it."
'Arsenal's defence is sharper that Man City's attack'
McInerney has suggested that Arsenal's settled and resolute backline is 'sharper' than Man City's attack at present, even with the latter boasting the Premier League's leading marksman in Erling Haaland, who has scored nine goals in just four matches this term.
"I think [Arsenal are] going to make it very difficult. I think there's a good chance that Arsenal's defence is more sharp than Manchester City's forward line right now," said McInerney.
"I think City haven't fully clicked into gear, because [Phil] Foden has not been playing, Rodri has only played 45 minutes (in the Premier League), Savinho is still pretty new - I'm sure he'll do very well, but he's still pretty new. I wouldn't say [Jeremy] Doku or [Jack] Grealish have been explosively brilliant so far this season. So I don't think City [have found their] rhythm yet.
"I think the reason City have look so good (in previous seasons) from January, February onwards is because Guardiola looks back at the [previous] few months, looks at what isn't working, makes a few tweaks, and the rhythm eventually comes. I think City's football, which is so intricate, takes a little bit of time to lock into place.
"My concern would be that City aren't fully up to speed yet going forward, whereas I think Arsenal are very set in their defensive ways. They know exactly what they're doing. That is muscle memory to the extreme, they all know where they need to be. They've got a very strong, stable backline and they'll be so drilled."
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Arteta is "obsessed" about beating Man City
McInerney believes that Arsenal's success under Arteta will ultimately be judged on their performances and results against title rivals Man City, adding: "I do feel that Arteta won't have a night's sleep this week.
"He'd be thinking about so much because he's obsessed with getting one over Manchester City, as he should be. That's essentially his barometer of success. That's his litmus test this season; how he gets on against City, can they improve on last season?
"Last season, he got a draw and a victory against City. They'll want to get a victory here (at the Etihad) as well, because if they do, it sends a really nice message to everyone else that they are, not only as good as last season, [but] they might have even improved a little bit."
Neither Man City nor Arsenal will be at full strength for Sunday's contest and are both set to be without their chief creators due to injury.
Indeed, Gunners captain Martin Odegaard is ruled out for a "while" with a "significant" ankle injury according to Arteta, while Citizens playmaker Kevin De Bruyne is also set to miss out after coming off at half time against Inter with an apparent groin problem.
Victory for Man City on Sunday would see them remain at the top of the Premier League table and move five points clear of Arsenal, while success for the Gunners - who have not won any of their previous nine league visits to the Etihad - would see them leapfrog the reigning champions to the summit.
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