Never before has Arsenal been as strong as they are now. Toan has won in the Premier League since the beginning of 2024, scoring 33 goals in 8 matches, an achievement that helps the club top the rankings. Even Liverpool and Man City do not have such impressive form.

At Etihad Stadium on the evening of March 31 (Hanoi time), Arsenal will be a guest against Man City. The match is likened to the “Premier League final”. The competition could decide the championship this season.

Arsenal is different now

A year ago, Arsenal was a guest against Man City with the position of directly competing for the Premier League crown. At the end of the day, Mikel Arteta’s team left with empty hands. The 1-4 defeat caused the “Gunners” to collapse, putting an end to their attempt to win England’s most prestigious title.

But this time, Arsenal came to Etihad with high confidence and expectations. This Sunday’s encounter with Man City is the most accurate measure of how much the “Gunners” have progressed since the day they hung out their shirts against “The Cityzens”.

Will a smile appear on coach Mikel Arteta’s lips when he visits Man City’s Etihad Stadium this Sunday?

In the 2023/24 season, Arsenal is the team with the most goals (70) in the Premier League. They did it in the absence of a typical No. 9 striker. “Gunners” also conceded the fewest goals (24). Good offense, solid defense, that creates a balanced team.

Arsenal knows how to score goals in many ways. From live ball coordination to set pieces, they did very well, even better than Man City – the team that once made the whole Premier League admire.

First, Arsenal scored 46 goals from live balls (Open play), losing only 1 goal to Man City. In return, Mikel Arteta’s army scored 13 goals from corner kicks, while Man City only had 8 goals.

Arsenal showed no signs of being out of breath towards the end of the match. The proof is that they scored 16 goals from minute 76 onwards. This statistic shows that players must possess extraordinary physical strength to avoid being exhausted at the end of the match.

This Sunday, Arsenal will bring their best to the Etihad with the task of destroying the host’s fortress. Before kick-off, Goal ran a big headline on its homepage “Great opportunity for Arsenal to sink Man City”. That is not a mere opinion.

In the first leg at Emirates Stadium, Arsenal defeated Man City 1-0. That day, midfielder William Saliba proved his value, contributing to making Erling Haaland – the best striker in the world today – mute. The performance the French midfielder brought to Arsenal in London raises the question for “Gunners” fans: If Saliba had not been absent from the match at the Etihad last year, it is unknown what would have happened.

Saliba is playing well. However, to become an excellent Premier League midfielder, a successor to Virgil van Dijk, the French player needs more than top performances in big matches. In the Premier League right now, no one is better than Van Dijk, who reaffirmed his position when neutralizing Haaland in Liverpool’s draw with Man City on March 10.

Saliba neutralized Haaland in the first leg between Arsenal and Man City at Emirates Stadium.

If he continues to defeat Haaland at the Etihad, Saliba’s value will be raised to new heights. There, fans definitely ranked this player among the best midfielders in the Premier League. The one who cannot be defeated.

In the first leg between Arsenal and Man City, there was a notable moment between Saliba and Haaland, which was the French midfielder knocking the opponent away in a duel. In his career, people have rarely seen Haaland, a goal-scoring machine with a great physical foundation, lose like that. This Sunday, Saliba needs to recreate that.

Opportunity for Arsenal

In the 2023/24 season, Man City, despite parting ways with İlkay Gündoğan, Riyad Mahrez… still shows superior strength to the rest. Even after winning the historic treble last season, “The Cityzens” still have a burning desire, their thirst for the title is even greater than before.

“Last year, Man City won all the noble titles. That makes the pressure and expectations even greater now. Man City wants to prove that they have the class to repeat extraordinary achievements. It seems like Everyone is more hungry now than before…”, midfielder Mateo Kovacic emphasized.

Winning against Man City is never easy. To defeat Pep Guardiola and his team, a team will need perfection in playing style, high performance and a confident demeanor. Arsenal does not lack any qualities. To date, they are the only team in the top 3 to defeat Man City.

Arsenal’s confidence comes from a very competitive squad where every player knows how to score goals. Even Gabriel Magalhaes, a midfielder, had 4 goals. Not to mention, Saliba owns 2 goals or Ben White has 2 times tore the opponent’s net.

In midfield, Kai Havertz is increasingly impressive, scoring 8 goals so far. Declan Rice became a very expensive contract. The English midfielder plays a solid blocking role in the midfield. When needed, Rice also plays the role of “The X Factor”, who suddenly appears in the restricted area and creates a formidable threat. Currently, the former West Ham star has scored 6 goals.

Attacking stars such as Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli also performed high-level football. Their demeanor shows poise and is very variable.

Normally, a team that wants to do big things must have a great goalscorer in the squad. Man City has Haaland, Aston Villa owns Ollie Watkins. Liverpool has Mohamed Salah or even Bounemouth also owns Dominic Solanke.

As for Arsenal, they do not depend on any key striker to find goals. Saka currently tops Arsenal’s scoring list with 13 goals, and he is a winger.

Havertz is playing well in an Arsenal shirt.

After failing in the Premier League championship race last season, experts commented that Arsenal needed to increase the quality of their attack. They have to buy more strikers. Ivan Toney was mentioned, but in the end the “Gunners” recruited Kai Havertz.

However, after 28 Premier League rounds, Arsenal is still at the top of the rankings. They do it when there is no “9” in the squad.

This Sunday, Mikel Arteta and his team bring to Etihad a sublime form with a series of 8 consecutive wins in the Premier League since the beginning of the year and increased confidence. In the last 3 away trips, the “Gunners” destroyed West Ham, Burnley and Sheffield United by 5 goals or more.

Last April, Arsenal went to Etihad with full hopes of creating an overthrow. For now, they come to Man City’s lair with confidence and expectation. A victory against the English champions will increase the position of the “Gunners”.

At that time, perhaps no one felt hesitant when commenting that Arsenal was the strongest team in the Premier League.