Arsenal can use Champions League progress as springboard to beat Man City

Mikel Arteta feels Arsenal can construct off their Champions League progress of their big Premier League conflict towards Arsenal.

The Gunners drew 0-0 with Sporting CP on Wednesday, however their 1-0 win within the first leg was sufficient to get them into the semi-finals.

Arsenal have received simply one in all their final 5 video games throughout all competitions, and up subsequent is Sunday’s journey to Man Metropolis.

Ought to Pep Guardiola’s workforce win on the Etihad Stadium, then they are going to be inside three factors of Arsenal on the summit of the Premier League.

Arteta, although, thinks securing a spot within the Champions League final 4 is the perfect springboard for the remainder of the season.

When requested if it may drive his workforce on for the Metropolis sport, Arteta stated: “100%.

“It is a large push to win the semifinal of the Champions League. It’s extraordinarily powerful and we all know what we’ve finished. We deserve it, absolutely deserve it as properly, and we’re going to take pleasure in it as a result of we deserve it.

“My message [to the players] was gratitude to them. I do know the trouble and the dedication that they’ve put in.

“There’s loads of work behind it. We’ve finished one thing that has by no means been finished within the historical past of our membership in 140 years, in order that tells you the problem of that, and we needed to do it in a really particular manner, lacking loads of essential gamers.”

Arsenal have reached the Champions League final 4 in back-to-back seasons, after having solely made two earlier semi-finals earlier than this (2005-06 and 2008-09).

Opta’s supercomputer has Arsenal as favourites to win each the Premier League title (86.1%) and the Champions League (36.8%).

“There’s a cause why we’re the one English workforce within the competitors, as a result of this league and this schedule takes the hell out of you,” Arteta added.

“We aren’t good, we have to enhance issues, that’s for positive and we recognise that. However there’s worth in what these gamers have finished.”

2 – Arsenal have reached the UEFA Champions League semi-final in back-to-back seasons, after having solely made two earlier European Cup/Champions League semi-finals earlier than this (2005-06 and 2008-09). Requirements. pic.twitter.com/rDja5MhiV2

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 15, 2026

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Manchester Metropolis – Rayan Cherki

Cherki is averaging an help each 138 minutes within the Premier League this season (10 assists in 1,384 minutes).

Of gamers to play 1,000+ minutes in a single marketing campaign, solely Cesc Fabregas in 2016-17 (111) and Kevin De Bruyne in 2023-24 (123) have had a greater common.

Arsenal – Eberechi Eze

Eze has both scored (two) or assisted (one) a objective in every of his final three appearances towards Man Metropolis in all competitions, establishing Gabriel Martinelli’s Ninetieth-minute equaliser within the reverse fixture.

The previous Crystal Palace playmaker has scored six league targets and offered two assists within the competitors this season.

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Metropolis are unbeaten of their final 10 Premier League house video games towards Arsenal (W7 D3) since a 2-0 loss in January 2015 underneath Manuel Pellegrini.

Arsenal are unbeaten of their final 5 Premier League video games towards Man Metropolis (W2 D3), having misplaced 12 in a row towards them earlier than this.

For months with at the very least 10 video games performed, April is Metropolis’s finest underneath Guardiola when it comes to points-per-game (2.51) and win price (79.5%).

In the meantime, it’s the worst month for each of these for Arsenal underneath Arteta (1.54 PPG, 42.3% win price).

That is the newest right into a season (MD33) Metropolis are going through the league leaders since April 2012, once they beat Manchester United 1-0 on the Etihad Stadium on MD36 en path to successful their first ever Premier League title.

Metropolis are unbeaten of their final 14 Premier League house video games, since shedding 2-0 towards Tottenham of their opening match on the Etihad this time period. They’ve netted at the very least twice in 12 of those 14 video games.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Man Metropolis – 37.7%

Draw – 26.5%

Arsenal – 35.8%