Arsenal vs Man City: A free hit for Mikel Arteta’s side?

One of the standout criticisms of not just this team, but many, many, many Arsenal teams before them, is that they come up short against the Premier League’s big guns.

Last season a run of 29 (twenty nine) games without a win away at a ‘Big Six’ side was ended with a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford, and while home form against top opposition makes for finer reading, it’s still an area in need of improvement.

Hoping to kick start 2022 with more competitive outings against those at the top end of the table, Arsenal have been handed a home meeting with Manchester City. What better way to kick the year off.

Not.

Arsenal vs Man City: Is it a free hit for Mikel Arteta’s side as they take on the Premier League champions and league leaders on New Year’s Day?

Across this season Arsenal have been labelled flat-track bullies for the ease with which they dispatch sides in the lower half of the table and come up short against the sides in and around them. Wins against West Ham, Leicester and Tottenham (they were a lot worse back then) dispel that notion somewhat. It’s normal to beat sides worse than you and lose to those better than you.

But against the even ‘bigger’ sides – Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City – it remains the case that Arsenal have fallen short. Against three of those teams it’s to be expected. The current top three in the Premier League have more quality, depth and experience in their lockers.

The problem is that Manchester City just have everything.

Watching improvement in almost all departments since the reverse 5-0 hammering earlier in the season, there is no doubting that Arsenal are a far more well-rounded side than they were on matchday three of the campaign.

In the quest for progression, the truest tests for Arteta’s side are whether they can be more competitive against sides stronger, faster, richer and more experienced than them. That is realistically all Arsenal can hope for.

However, football throws up all manner of surprises and there will be bigger shocks across this season than Arsenal beating the champions-elect on their fortress-like home turf. The eagle-eyed will have noticed that City haven’t won the league, but is almost entirely agreed at this early stage with them already boasting an eight-point lead at the table’s summit.

They are absolutely devastating in every department – even the ‘ugly’ ones like defending set pieces – and have enough talent in reserve to let Ferran Torres join Barcelona in the winter window without even truly caring.

Is it a free hit? In short, no. But put it this way, as a means of measuring progress, these are not the matches that you use to determine it. If Arsenal lose they won’t be stewing over the defeat for weeks like the one at Old Trafford. They’ll analyse, briefly, and move on. Arsenal, like Leicester, will be glad they’re the first ones to play City twice this term.

It is never a foregone conclusion in this division and with the form Arsenal are in they should never be ruled out. Yet, when you’re playing possibly the best team in the world, showing a bit of fight, guts, physicality, spirit and endeavour will mostly suffice. Not conceding inside five minutes would also be a refreshing change. The following 85 can be focused on after that.

Showcase some of that and there is nothing saying a positive result is out of the question.