Arsenal have gone toe to toe with Manchester City in the Premier League title race for the second season in a row, but they may fall just short again.
The Gunners have improved from last season, and have the statistically best attack and defence in the Premier League in this campaign.
Nevertheless, Mikel Arteta’s side will need Man City to drop points in one of their three games, whilst winning their final two including a tough trip to Old Trafford, to win a first title since 2004.
Talisman Bukayo Saka has now shared his thoughts on what it is like to compete with Man City. Pep Guardiola’s side are aiming to win their fourth title in a row, and Arsenal may fall short even if they end the season with 16 wins from 18 games.
Bukayo Saka admits he has watched Man City games in title race
Speaking to Arsenal club media, Saka explained why he chooses to look at the positives that his side’s good form has pushed Man City all the way in the race.
“Yes, I love football, so if there is a game on I will usually watch it,” Saka replied when asked if he has been keeping a close eye on Man City results.
“You can see it in two ways. You can either view it as frustrating or as a beautiful challenge.
“Everybody knows they are one of the best teams in the world, they have been on the top for the past five years, challenging for everything, so for ourselves to be up there competing with them is good. We are pushing them the whole way and let’s see what happens.
“But we’re not getting frustrated, we see it as a challenge that we want to fight until the end. They have set a standard and it’s up to the rest of us to try to be better than them. We just focus on ourselves, that’s all we can do.”
Arsenal deserve praise even if Man City win Premier League
Arsenal have arguably only had one game in 2024 which did not reach the desired outcome, as they lost 2-0 at home to Aston Villa with a disastrous second-half performance.
A 0-0 draw away at Man City was an impressive result, and one which kept them in the title race more than a loss would have.
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Beyond that, they have won every game in this calendar year, and won them in style. 5-0 wins over Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Burnley, as well as 6-0 wins at Sheffield United and West Ham, showed just how much quality this Arsenal side possesses, and if they are to fall short by two points in the end, it will show that they have closed the gap between the two teams from last season.