adminLONDON. — Manchester City will look to kill two birds with one stone this weekend by keeping the heat on Barclays English Premier League soccer leaders Chelsea and definitively dashing Arsenal’s title hopes.
City’s 3-0 win at Manchester United on Tuesday took them to within three points of Chelsea and with two games in hand, they are the bookmakers’ favourites to finish the campaign on top of the pile.
Arsenal are only three points behind Manuel Pellegrini’s side, but having played two games more, they cannot afford to lose when the teams meet at the Emirates Stadium today.
Humiliated 6-0 by Chelsea last weekend, Arsenal conceded a stoppage-time equaliser in a 2-2 draw at home to Swansea City on Tuesday, and defeat by City would likely end their title challenge for good.
Arsenal conceded early goals in both the thrashing by Chelsea and last month’s 5-1 loss at Liverpool, and having gone down 6-3 to City in the reverse fixture, midfielder Mathieu Flamini says they cannot afford another sloppy start.
“We have to be strong defensively; first of all because that is very important when you play against a big team who are a very offensive side,” the
Frenchman, whose own goal handed Swansea a share of the points in mid-week, told the Arsenal website.
“When you play a big game, you cannot lose it in the first 10 or 15 minutes because it is not good for the rest of the match. So we have to be focused and be ready because these kinds of games are battles.
“You have to win the duels, win the fight, and then play your football. After that, we have enough quality in this team to find a goal.”
City’s win over United will give them a spring in their step as they head to the Emirates, but with a trip to second-place Liverpool coming up in a fortnight, captain Vincent Kompany is not getting carried away.
“We have momentum, but who doesn’t have momentum at the moment? Liverpool have momentum and Chelsea have momentum, too,” he said.
“We have a game against Arsenal and that’s good in a way because you don’t have to make a big effort to get the lads focused again.”
With Liverpool not in action until tomorrow, when they host sixth-place Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea will have an opportunity to stretch their lead to four points when they visit fourth-from-bottom Crystal Palace the day before.
Today could also prove a pivotal day for Manchester United manager David Moyes, whose position is once again under scrutiny following his side’s midweek derby defeat. There were isolated displays of fan dissent towards Moyes at the end of that game, while a group of United supporters have threatened to charter a plane to fly over Old Trafford during today’s match with Aston Villa, towing a banner calling for him to resign.
United’s hopes of a top-four finish have been all but dashed and on Tuesday they welcome Champions League holders Bayern Munich to Old Trafford for the first leg of a daunting quarter-final.
In stark contrast, life could scarcely be rosier for United’s arch-rivals Liverpool, who closed to within a point of Chelsea by beating Sunderland 2-1 on Wednesday.
Daniel Sturridge claimed his 20th league goal of the campaign in the game, but he has echoed manager Brendan Rodgers by expressing caution about his side’s title prospects.
“It’s important to take each game as it comes,” he told regional newspaper the Liverpool Echo. “There are seven games to go and they will all be difficult. They will all be different in their own way.”
Arsenal’s travails have given Everton encouragement that they could steal into the top four.
Roberto Martinez’s side currently trail Arsenal by six points, with a game in hand, and tomorrow visit bottom club Fulham, who are four points adrift of safety and in danger of being cut adrift.
Second-bottom Cardiff City are only a point better off ahead of their trip to West Bromwich Albion today, while third-from-bottom Sunderland could have ground to make up by the time they host West Ham United on Monday.
Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger has described loan signing Kim Kallstrom as ‘marvellous’ and intimated he’s ready to use the Swedish international from the start in future games.
The 31-year-old midfielder, who signed on loan from Spartak Moscow on deadline day in January, made his long awaited debut off the bench against Swansea impressing with his portfolio of passes and as a physical presence in the centre of the park.
Speaking to Arsenal Player about the experienced Swede, Wenger had nothing but good things to say:
“I’m convinced that he can be important for starting or coming on in the games because he has the experience, he has quality and his attitude is fantastic.
“He has an absolutely fantastic attitude. He’s a credit to the job because of his attitude, his focus and his determination. He works hard, he’s helpful and he’s marvellous.”
The boss also had warm words for captain Thomas Vermaelen who looks set to continue in the centre of defence in the absence of Laurent Koscielny.
“We know Thomas has paid a heavy price for having Laurent and Per who worked well together but he has an opportunity to show how good he is and I’m sure he will take it.”
Fixtures (all 5pm unless otherwise stated)
Today: Arsenal v Manchester City (7:30pm), Crystal Palace v Chelsea, Manchester United v Aston Villa (2:45pm), Southampton v Newcastle United, Stoke City v Hull City, Swansea City v Norwich City, West Bromwich Albion v Cardiff City
Tomorrow: Fulham v Everton (3:30pm), Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur (6pm)
Monday: Sunderland v West Ham United (10pm). — AFP.
Online Reporter