Our illustrious 7 game winning streak came to an impromptu termination on Saturday. However with Manchester City being the only real threat to a very well drilled and experienced Man United side, I expect the pressure to be fully on City.
It’s normally around this time of year that the term ‘squeaky bum time’ comes into people’s minds. Whether you are a fan, a pundit, or a manager, the term relatively means that when the season enters its remaining 8-10 fixtures, some of the more inexperienced teams will start to feel the pressure of Premier League standard, be it a relegation battle or a title challenge .
And that’s exactly why I think we have every chance of taking Manchester City to the proverbial cleaners this Sunday. Putting the two teams on paper, City line up the better team, as you would expect, with a formidable array of experience including the likes of Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure and the ever extravagant yet extremely-talented Carlos Tevez. All of whom (bar Tevez) have been vital to City’s strong yet more recently fading league title bid.
Ultimately the pressure is on City with Man United riding high, and we have the opportunity to respond from a whimpering performance at Loftus Road. If we can marry City crumbling and our application of response together, then I’m sure we are in for a capricious and electric match on Sunday.
With this current crop of Arsenal players I see a difference to previous ones, as much of a rollercoaster season it has been – and standards have perhaps dropped. I see a bundle of willing energy in Tomas Rosicky, an extremely talented, maverick-type figure in Alex Song. In which no one knows if he is trying to be Iniesta or Makelele.
And then I look to the back and see Laurent Koscielny who has come on leaps and bounds since his move in the summer of 2010 and more than often rises to the big occasion. All three of whom I think will be the ‘keys’ to unlock City’s ever–rotating defence.
Hopefully we can halt their title bid even more, even though it pretty much means giving Manchester United their 20th league title. I don’t want any of money-ridden City player’s paws and more notably Samir Nasri’s paws to be on that title come the last day of the season. City are there for the taking and we are the Arsenal.
