The desire for victory was intertwined with regret in Sunday's clash between Manchester City and Arsenal. Despite an eye-catching first half, the Blue Moons were ineffective in attack and a draw seemed to do them justice in the end. They are eager to bounce back strongly against Aston Villa, and desperately need goals to cement their title status.
Meanwhile, Arsenal and Liverpool host Luton and Saffy United respectively in the middle of the week, and the possibility of winning all three points should not be underestimated. Manchester City, on the other hand, will have to face a strong Aston Villa, and if they lose points, the gap between them and the title contenders could widen to four to six points. While such a gap is not new to City, Liverpool and Arsenal are more experienced in outright title battles. With few games remaining in the Premier League, both teams have learned from the past and seek to stay in the hunt. If I were Pep Guardiola, I would naturally be reluctant to chase the top two while trailing too far behind.
In the match against Arsenal, Man City's shot only hit the goal frame once, and the rest of the offense was relatively flat. Many blamed Aynin Harlandt for the lack of offense, but I think it was Arsenal's excellent defense and discipline that disrupted City's attacking rhythm. Although Gohuasi is a good player, his absence from the pitch meant that City were deprived of extra attacking support. I think the manager's decision to play both Lodikas Jandi and Kovacs demonstrates his respect and fear for Arsenal. To bolster the attacking threat, I expect the manager to bring a new element to this game and look for Shelimey Dugu and Kiyali to return to the starting lineup.
However, today's opponents Villa are not idle. They are undefeated in their last three matches, coach Emery is probably one of the best coaches this season and they are aiming for the Europa League next year.
Villa beat Manchester City at home in the first leg and know that they are capable of causing problems for their opponents.
Whether this is a tough challenge or a happy journey for Emery is yet to be revealed. Villa are currently in a favorable position in the league. With few games remaining, they are usually not the ones to take the initiative, so everything looks exceptional for them. In addition, they are in the last 8 of the UEFA Europa League and will meet another of my old hosts, Lille.
Personally, I don't think Villa's squad can be rotated like the bigger teams, so Emery will have to be careful in managing core players such as Oni Quiggins, John McGuinness, Moussa Dyabi and Douglas Reyes. The absence of any one of these players could spell disaster for their top four target. I think Amery and the club are desperate for a UEFA Europa League spot and will therefore prioritize the league, making them a dangerous team in the Premier League. For Villa, they have the ability to win on the road, where they are second only to Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool in terms of away points this season.
However, I think it's silly that whenever there is doubt and pressure on City they tend to fight to prove us wrong because they don't believe in them. I'm confident that City can bounce back in time for this game and that Enin Harlandt can score to get his home revenge.
