Good Student Mikel Arteta Determined to Topple Manchester City

It seems like it was just yesterday that Mikel Arteta sat in the Manchester City dugout alongside Pep Guardiola as one of his assistants. The former Everton and Arsenal midfielder had just hung up his boots. With Pep Guardiola coming to the Premier League from Bayern Munich, it was the perfect opportunity for Arteta to take advantage of their long-term friendship and make his entrance into the world of football management.

Who else better to learn from than one of the very best managers in the modern game. The Spaniard became an understudy of his country man at Manchester City while getting paid to learn. A really smart move that has paid off handsomely.

Not only has Arteta excelled beyond expectation as Arsenal manager, he seems bent on knocking City off their perch.

In 2020, Arsenal beat Manchester City 2–0 in the FA Cup semi-final. Arteta then led Arsenal to their fourth FA Cup final in seven years and won the trophy in first season as manager. But he has since set his sights on a much bigger goal - to win the Premier League title.

Under his guidance, the Gunners came close to achieving the goal last season. But ultimately failed as City emerged Champions for the third consecutive time.

The Arsenal boss took home the lessons, went into the transfer market and strengthened his team to do a better job this time around. So far, the London side has not disappointed sitting atop the league table, a point ahead of City with four games to go.

However, City have a game in hand. So if the Blues win all their five remaining matches, they will be crowned champions again. The nature of the Premier League makes that easier said than done though.

Although on paper, City have the easier fixtures to Arsenal, as the Gunners still have Manchester United away, yet facing Nottingham Forest (A), Wolves (H), Fulham (A), Tottenham (A) and West Ham (H) will not be an easy run for City.

A key fixture worthy of note in the list is Tottenham away which has usually been a tricky one for the Blues.

City have won only one of their last five league fixtures against Tottenham. That's a terrible record for a team as good and dominant as City. For whatever reason, the north London side has had the better of Guardiola's side more often than not in the last five league encounters.

The team has beaten City three times and drawn once taking 10 points out of the last 15 on offer when both sides met.

But City put an end to that run by defeating Ange Postecoglou's side 1-0 in an FA Cup fixture last January.

Arsenal also have their London neighbours to contend with in what is a derby match for the Gunners. But given the team's recent form and the determination to topple City, they are likely to win.

Ultimately, whether Arteta is able to lead Arsenal to the promised land this season or not, he has demonstrated excellence that only a few new managers can pull off. If he keeps up with the growth, the league title will grace the Arsenal trophy cabinet in the near future.