The Nation Newspaper Battle at Etihad: Brothers at war as EPL title race hots up
The end of the Klopp-Guardiola rivalry signals the beginning of a new one, and although a master-and-apprentice dynamic means no clash of tactical philosophies,versus Pep Guardiola could grow into something just as interesting. There is already history between Arsenal and Manchester City; already a clear tactical journey of move, counter-move, and counter-counter-move through their last few meetings.
Earlier this year, a 1-0 win for Arsenal was again the result of adapting to what had come before. The man-to-man press now solved, Arteta opted for a far more cautious approach and Arsenal won a constipated game at the Emirates. We can expect to see Mateo Kovacic in a reined-in position alongside Rodri – even though that will only clog things up further – because John Stones’ injury means there is nobody to step up.
Chief among those is Kai Havertz, who has scored in each of his last four Premier League appearances and is excelling as a false nine, dropping deeper to receive possession and help swarm the opponent. It’s enough to give Arsenal a very slight edge, but with Man City unbeaten in 38 Premier League games at the Etihad, a newly-cautious Arteta would gladly take a draw. Kovacic and Rodri, Rice and Jorginho, and forwards instructed not to abandon their post: it points to a nervous contest with few clear-cut chances.
That inaugural battle marked the first of 210 showdowns between the Citizens and the Gunners, who lead the way with a century of wins against the current English and European champions, hitting that three-figure mark in October’s Emirates encounter thanks to a deflected Gabriel Martinelli strike.
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