For the second season running, Pep Guardiola’s own former confidant Mikel Arteta stands in the way of Manchester City winning another Premier League title.. The close presence of Arteta, as well as Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool this season, is a familiar one for City. Under Guardiola, it’s only really Klopp and Arteta who have come anything like close to matching their dominance and disrupting their success. Manchester United finished second under Jose Mourinho and then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but neither launched genuine title challenges to speak of. This season is different and the three-horse race adds a further element of intrigue, especially for the neutrals.. But there’s still that question mark hovering over Arsenal’s credentials given, of the trio, they are the novices when it comes to winning trophies. Both City and Liverpool have won the league and Champions League in recent times. Arteta has lifted the FA Cup but the Gunners’ last title success came 20 years ago under Arsene Wenger.. After his side fell off the pace last season, Arteta knows exactly the size of the challenge facing his team as we approach the title run-in. Arsenal may be top of the table on goal difference right now, but can they cope with City’s usual April charge towards the summit? Do they have the belief required to prevail.. READ MORE: Man City get Liverpool approval as Pep Guardiola prediction comes true. READ MORE: Man City summer transfer plans might have just changed. We’ll know a lot more when the Gunners take on City later this month, a repeat of a game where the Blues firmly extinguished Arsenal hopes a year ago with a dominant victory.. “We have to stand up and look at the bigger picture,” Arteta said after the 4-1 humbling. “The fact we are competing toe to toe with this City team is incredible.”. Arsenal perhaps view even challenging this City side as an achievement, but that is not the mentality of champions. The Gunners will hope to change that this season and went some way towards shifting the dial with a win in the reverse fixture.. “It is a great feeling,” said Arteta after Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over City at the Emirates in October. “We have not beaten them for so long, but I am in no doubt we have beaten the best team in the world.”. Arteta’s side may have emerged victorious from the past two meetings of the sides but they were both in London, with a penalty shoot out success at Wembley in the Community Shield in August. You have to go back to January 2015 for Arsenal’s most recent win in east Manchester. City don’t lose many at home; they lose even fewer to Arsenal. There will be no problem with City’s mentality.. A test of Arsenal’s belief awaits, both in terms of the vital 90 minutes to come in a fortnight’s time and in the nine matches to follow that. “We have to keep believing in what we are doing,” Arteta said in October.. But it remains to be seen if they truly believe they are better than City and Liverpool. The two old dogs of the title race have seen it all before.. Get City transfer updates on WhatsApp!. Pep Guardiola’s men are looking to move a step closer to another Premier League title – as well as complete another possible Treble.. Our MEN team of Manchester City experts will be on top of all the goings-on at the Etihad this week and beyond, and you can get the latest updates and inside information to your phone by joining our new free WhatsApp community. You can also join the 30,000 (and growing!) band of Blues fans who are following our WhatsApp channel.. Sign up to our community here, and join our City channel here.. –. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
