Pep Guardiola, manager of current defending champion Manchester City, was full of praise this weekend for Arsenal, who have now opened a five-point lead (with a game in hand too) over his side at the top of the table.
We’re now halfway through the season, and Arsenal, managed by former Man City assistant Mikel Arteta, has established themselves as not just league title contenders, but league title favorites.
Today’s 3-2 win over Manchester United surely cemented that status.
“They have everything,” Guardiola said before the Arsenal-United clash.
“[They are good] with set-pieces, good defensive organization. How they win duels, how they celebrate goals, how they talk, how they hug, how they look at each other.
“This is football, this is tactics as well. And right now we don’t have it.
Asked about whether or not his side can make catch the Gunners, and this make it five league titles in six years, Pep responded:
“Listen, we are second in the table. We are not 25 points behind Arsenal, still we are there. It is 57 points still to play.”
But he added that there are no hopes for his side, or anybody else if the North Londoners stay on their current path.
“In this way, no chance,” he added. “We have the FA Cup, we have the Champions League and next season but the club has to react.”
In addition to Arteta, Arsenal has more Man City connections in left back Oleksandr Zinchenko and striker Gabriel Jesus. The two sides will meet on Friday night, in the fourth round of the FA Cup
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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