Arsenal eager to end winless drought at City

LONDON, March 29

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta wants his team to enjoy the moment in Sunday’s Premier League clash against a Manchester City side he believes have pushed the level of the game globally and who have the world’s best coach in Pep Guardiola.

Arsenal, who face an anxious wait to see if Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes will be fit for the match, top the Premier League table with 10 games to go in a nail-biting title race on 64 points, while holders City are third on 63. Liverpool are second with 64.

A victory would end Arsenal’s nine-year winless drought at the Etihad and be a massive boost to their title hopes. “We’ve done a lot already to be in the position that we are and now we have to embrace and enjoy the moment and go for it,” Arteta said. “(City) have raised the bar in this league, I think in football in general, to a level that hadn’t been seen before,” he added.

“And that’s the beauty of the sport, that makes you better, that challenges you more and you have to keep up with that pace. And that’s what we are trying to do,” he added. — Reuters

Stones, Walker ruled out of Gunners clash

Manchester City will be without defenders Kyle Walker and John Stones when they host Arsenal in a crucial Premier League showdown on Sunday after both were injured on international duty. “It is what it is,” manager Pep Guardiola said. On the plus side for City fans, goalkeeper Ederson, who missed City’s FA Cup quarterfinal game against Newcastle United on March 16 is doing “much, much better”, Guardiola said.