Ilkay Gundogan has opened up on the challenge that Arsenal are giving Manchester City this season. The Gunners have the chance to go eight points clear of their closest rivals when they play Brentford on Saturday afternoon.
City, who missed the chance to close the gap to the top last weekend after watching Mikel Arteta's men lose to Everton, face Aston Villa on Sunday. The relevance of both matches comes with the eagerly awaited first league meeting between the two sides in midweek.
Despite the gap currently, Arsenal could be second by Thursday, even with a game in hand that would be a massive psychological blow. City may also have the advantage there after winning in the FA Cup clash two weeks ago.
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All of that is out of the minds of the players though who are preparing for fixtures this weekend first.
Gundogan, who played under Arteta's watchful eye when the Spaniard was assistant at the Etihad Stadium, admits he isn't surprised by the threat being posed. "No!" he told Sky Germany in an interview. "They have a coach who I respect and know well from his time with us - there are a lot of similarities with Pep.
"Their approach is almost identical to ours and if you look at their first team it's clear that on a good day they can compete with any opponent. A few weeks ago we beat them in the FA Cup and felt how uncomfortable they are to play against. If they have the ball, they can punish other teams. Our responsibility is to get three points against Aston Villa and then go to London and beat Arsenal."
The German doesn't just think that it's a two-horse race either. Manchester United are seven points off the summit having played two games more than their rivals but could still find themselves in the mix. "Arsenal are playing at a very high level at the moment, with Manchester United breathing down our necks," Gundogan added.
"The teams get better every year. Sometimes you have to blame yourself and realize you didn't play well enough. Overall, however, the challenge is getting bigger and bigger. And against us - a side who have won four league titles in the last five years - most opponents are probably extra motivated to make life particularly difficult for us."
The siege mentality being used by Gundogan, Guardiola in recent days and often by Arteta is common, but the midfielder's comments do buy into the wider point that City are still readying themselves for an assault on top spot. It has been spoken of for most of the season and fans are waiting for the winning run to commence.
It is still in Arsenal's hands though and that offers comfort as the squad attempt to deal with the expectation placed upon them that perhaps nobody was ready for.
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