Declan Rice has said Arsenal must improve quickly if they are to leave the Etihad with the title race still firmly in their hands.
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Declan Rice has said Arsenal must raise their level against Manchester City, with the midfielder admitting recent performances have fallen short of the standard required before what amounts to the biggest league test of the season.
Arsenal go to the Etihad Stadium top of the table, with 21 wins, seven draws and four defeats in the league, but the sense around this game is that they are starting to falter after losing to City in the Carabao Cup final, Southampton in theFA Cup and then to Bournemouth last weekend in the Premier League.
City have the momentum, Arsenal have the points on the board, and the outcome of this match will likely shape the title race from here.
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For all the talk about City’s attacking talent, and the familiar threat posed by the likes of Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku, Arsenal travel with the strongest defensive record in the division and with a far more mature side than the one that used to come here and unravel.
The partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel has been central to that, and so has the wider sense that this Arsenal team are now better equipped to manage major occasions. Mostly.
Even so, Rice made clear there can be no comfort taken from any of that if their level does not improve immediately after the recent displays against Bournemouth and Sporting.
“There’s no beating around the bush,” he said. “We have to perform better than we did against Bournemouth and you can say against Sporting as well.
“Recently, we probably have made too many errors than we have done in previous weeks. It’s about doing the basics a little bit better to a better level.
“The Etihad is the ultimate test – but it’s why we play this game. So, bring it on. I can’t wait. It’s why we play the game.
“It comes down to if you’re going to be ready and how much you want it.”
Avoid defeat and Arsenal keep City at arm’s length.
Lose, and they hand Manchester one of the handles of the trophy.
It’s really that simple.
