Mikel Arteta Comments on City's Poor Form
Asked about Manchester City's rough patch, the Arsenal manager pointed out that the most surprising thing is that this hasn’t happened in the past decade.
Manchester City had circled Tuesday's game as an opportunity to reset and regain confidence, with Feyenoord seen as an ideal opponent for a comeback. However, the reigning English champions squandered a three-goal lead in just 15 minutes — something unprecedented in Champions League history. This result extended their dismal November, a month in which they have lost five consecutive matches and added a more-than-avoidable draw to their record.
This poor run of form has shocked many, especially considering the quality of City’s squad and the remarkable consistency they have shown under Pep Guardiola since his arrival in 2016. This point, in particular, stood out to Mikel Arteta, who stated: "Everyone goes through tough times. For them, it’s very strange because they haven’t had one in the last nine years. This highlights the level and the environment we compete in: everything has to be almost perfect," he remarked during Friday morning's press conference. The Spanish manager added: "What I take away is what they’ve done over these nine years. That’s what people should talk about: how difficult it is to achieve what they’ve done with such consistency over such a long period."
Victory fuels confidence
Beyond Manchester City’s situation, which doesn’t seem to worry Arteta too much, the Basque manager also spoke about the current state of his own team. After suffering two defeats before the international break, the Gunners have bounced back with two emphatic victories: a 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest and an impressive 5-1 away triumph over Sporting Portugal. Arteta hopes this new dynamic can provide the momentum they need.
"Victories boost energy and confidence. These were two great wins for us, but now it’s about being consistent and staying on this path to go even further against a very good opponent tomorrow. What matters is not what you did yesterday but the next day, the next performance, and how you maintain a high level of performance because of the competitiveness of each opponent. That’s what we will try to do tomorrow," he said ahead of Saturday's short trip to face West Ham.
This level of demand is essential to remain at the top of the Premier League and avoid falling behind, especially since Liverpool comfortably leads the table with a nine-point advantage over the Gunners, who no longer have time or points to spare.
