Chris Sutton has picked out the area of the field where he believes that Arsenal are actually better than Manchester City as the Premier League title race prepares to go right down to the wire.
Arsenal beating Manchester United on Sunday saw Mikel Arteta’s men go back to the top of the table and ensure that the race will go down to the final day, regardless of how Manchester City get on against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.
Cesc Fabregas believes that Tuesday’s game will decide the title race. But there is absolutely no question that Arsenal have taken a giant stride forward from last year when they came very close to getting across the line.
Certainly, there is not going to be a dramatic decline from Arteta’s side over several weeks. Arsenal have proved that they are very credible rivals for the Manchester City machine.
Chris Sutton believes Arsenal are better defensively than Manchester City
And speaking on The Monday Night Club, Chris Sutton has suggested where he believes the Gunners are better than the champions.
“I actually think, for what it’s worth, that Arsenal defensively, I think have a better backline than Manchester City, and that Manchester City, you always feel that you will get a chance in the games against Pep’s teams, but it’s the fact that they are so good going forward and, as Theo said, they just wear teams down,” he said.
“They don’t stop, they’re used to winning, they’re an absolute juggernaut. But I do feel that they have, I wouldn’t say a vulnerability at the back, but you feel that you can score against them, as many teams have this season.”
Plenty of chapters on this rivalry still to be written
Certainly, the Premier League table would back up Sutton’s suggestion that Arsenal have the better defence, with the Gunners conceding just 28 goals in 37 games.
City meanwhile, have been wide open in comparison, with 33 goals conceded in 36 games. In truth, the two sides have been so much better than any other team in the division.
It is David Raya who has already won the Golden Glove for most clean sheets. And the likes of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes have received all kinds of plaudits.
Interestingly, City have only recently overtaken Arsenal for goals scored, and neither side is going to be too far from bringing up the century for how many times they find the back of the net.
All eyes will be on the next few days, but this has the makings of a rivalry which could define the next few years in the Premier League.
