Arsenal: 3 advantages versus Manchester City

1. Mikel Arteta

More so than any other team in the Premier League, Arsenal have a backstage pass into understanding the City and perhaps scouting potential weaknesses of what otherwise looks like an impregnable team.

Mikel Arteta worked with Pep Guardiola and City as an assistant coach for three-and-a-half years. For all of Guardiola’s brilliance, Arteta has been heralded for his impact with the squad. Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva, Leroy Sane, and Fabian Delph all spoke extremely highly of the Arsenal head coach, recognising the impact on the team with his coaching behind the scenes.

Arteta will understand the City system better than anyone not currently at the club. He helped craft it, after all. That also means that if anyone can determine potential weaknesses that Arsenal might not be able to exploit, it is him.

Whether Arsenal have the players to execute whatever plan he conjures up, remains to be seen. Sometimes, City are just too good. But make no mistake, Arteta is a major advantage that no other Premier League team has when they face City.