Arsenal can use Champions League progress as springboard to beat Man City

Mikel Arteta feels Arsenal can build off their Champions League progress in their huge Premier League clash against Arsenal.

The Gunners drew 0-0 with Sporting CP on Wednesday, but their 1-0 win in the first leg was enough to get them into the semi-finals.

Arsenal have won just one of their last five games across all competitions, and up next is Sunday's trip to Man City.

Should Pep Guardiola's team win at the Etihad Stadium, then they will be within three points of Arsenal at the summit of the Premier League.

Arteta, though, thinks securing a place in the Champions League last four is the ideal springboard for the rest of the season.

When asked if it could drive his team on for the City game, Arteta said: "100%.

"This is a massive push to win the semifinal of the Champions League. It's extremely tough and we know what we've done. We deserve it, fully deserve it as well, and we're going to enjoy it because we deserve it.

"My message [to the players] was gratitude to them. I know the effort and the commitment that they have put in.

"There's a lot of work behind it. We've done something that has never been done in the history of our club in 140 years, so that tells you the difficulty of that, and we had to do it in a very special way, missing a lot of important players."

Arsenal have reached the Champions League last four in back-to-back seasons, after having only made two previous semi-finals before this (2005-06 and 2008-09).

Opta's supercomputer has Arsenal as favourites to win both the Premier League title (86.1%) and the Champions League (36.8%).

"There is a reason why we are the only English team in the competition, because this league and this schedule takes the hell out of you," Arteta added.

"We are not perfect, we need to improve things, that's for sure and we recognise that. But there's value in what these players have done."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Manchester City - Rayan Cherki

Cherki is averaging an assist every 138 minutes in the Premier League this season (10 assists in 1,384 minutes).

Of players to play 1,000+ minutes in a single campaign, only Cesc Fabregas in 2016-17 (111) and Kevin De Bruyne in 2023-24 (123) have had a better average.

Arsenal - Eberechi Eze

Eze has either scored (two) or assisted (one) a goal in each of his last three appearances against Man City in all competitions, setting up Gabriel Martinelli's 90th-minute equaliser in the reverse fixture.

The former Crystal Palace playmaker has scored six league goals and provided two assists in the competition this season.

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

City are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League home games against Arsenal (W7 D3) since a 2-0 loss in January 2015 under Manuel Pellegrini.

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last five Premier League games against Man City (W2 D3), having lost 12 in a row against them before this.

For months with at least 10 games played, April is City's best under Guardiola in terms of points-per-game (2.51) and win rate (79.5%).

Meanwhile, it is the worst month for both of those for Arsenal under Arteta (1.54 PPG, 42.3% win rate).

This is the latest into a season (MD33) City are facing the league leaders since April 2012, when they beat Manchester United 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium on MD36 en route to winning their first ever Premier League title.

City are unbeaten in their last 14 Premier League home games, since losing 2-0 against Tottenham in their opening match at the Etihad this term. They have netted at least twice in 12 of these 14 games.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Man City - 37.7%

Draw - 26.5%

Arsenal - 35.8%