Mikel Arteta says he put his “ideology aside” to secure Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Manchester City as he prepared to reset for Wednesday night’s home game against Luton. The Arsenal manager organised his team in a low block at the Etihad Stadium, ordering them not to be lured out or to leave any spaces. They had just 27% of possession, playing 269 passes to City’s 700 while they committed 20 fouls.
The point was everything to Arteta in terms of the Premier League title race, as was preventing City from scoring at home for the first time in 58 matches – a club-record run that went back to 9 March 2022 and the 0-0 with Sporting in the Champions League last 16 second leg. City were 5-0 up from the first leg.
José Mourinho, the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager, once said that he could always close down for a 0-0, suggesting it was harder to make the game in a more proactive sense. Arteta does not have the same confidence as Mourinho in that approach, although he has gained some after Sunday, and he will revert to more tried and trusted methods against Luton.
“I don’t have this ability [to lock down for a 0-0],” Arteta said. “Hopefully I can improve and get that ability to have the certainty that I can have that [a 0-0]. But especially against Man City, when you look in the last three seasons – they have scored in every single home match. I think it’s very difficult [to lock them out]. But we are on it. That is for sure.
“Sometimes it is because you want to adapt, sometimes because you have to adapt and have that resilience. Leave your ego aside and your ideology aside and do what you have to do to win the game. I thought the team was mentally really strong and clever the way they did it.”
Arteta went on to stress that it was “certain things” Arsenal had done differently – “not to be a completely different team”.
He continued: “It’s like when you have a short blanket … sometimes you have to cover here and your feet are there, but if you want to cover your feet then your chest is there. So you have to tweak certain things sometimes. We adapt to certain things and City did as well. They did certain things that they never do.”
The manager gave an update on Jurrien Timber, saying the Dutch defender was back in training and “not far off” a return after his anterior cruciate ligament injury. He said Timber, who signed from Ajax last summer and was hurt in his first league game for Arsenal against Nottingham Forest on 12 August, had a “good chance” of playing again before the end of the season.
Arteta has no other unavailable players and he called on every member of his squad to be ready to contribute, citing the example of Reiss Nelson from last season’s 3-2 win over Bournemouth. The winger had barely played in the Premier League to that point in March but he would score a stunning stoppage-time winner after coming on as a substitute.
“We’re going to need everyone,” Arteta said. “Our obligation and our duty is to be prepared to play any minute in any moment. Look at the example of Reiss and his best moment for Arsenal. Nobody remembers if he started or if it was off the bench. Sometimes you just need a second to change the history of a football club.”
