Mikel Arteta has said Arsenal’s crucial clash with Manchester City has been on the club’s radar since pre-season.
Last season’s top two meet in an early-season showdown at the Etihad, with the teams currently placed first and and second in the Premier League table again after four games.
Arsenal have pushed Manchester City close over the last two campaigns but have so far been unable to dethrone the champions, who have won each of the last four league titles.
Arteta, however, said Arsenal ‘dreamed’ of their position as challengers when he first took charge and set becoming champions is his source of motivation on the training ground.
“I enjoy a lot of time in the office and on the training ground, but it is what it is,” Arteta said at his pre-match press conference.
“We want to be in the position we’re in, we dreamed of this years ago and are in this position right now. Let’s make the most out of it and let’s enjoy it.
“We’ve been preparing for this since pre-season. Obviously, we knew the schedule and we knew that it’s extremely rare to play in these conditions with three massive away games in six days, but it was what it was so we have prepared for that, both physically, mentally and tactically.
“We’re making sure that everyone is ready for it because we’re going to need them, especially with the injuries that we had from the international break.”
Manchester City are ‘the most consistent Premier League team ever’
Arteta is under no illusions over the challenge his team face this weekend, however, as Arsenal meet a Manchester City team with a perfect record so far this season.
Arteta, who spent three seasons on the coaching staff at City, believes this weekend’s opponents are the ‘most consistent’ team in Premier League history.
“[It is] a really competitive one. We go to the home of the champions, the team that I think in Premier League history has been the most consistent ever, not only in terms of results but in terms of dominance and consistent top performances. This is the challenge, we have to go there and prove that again we’ve made another step and we can compete.”
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