Rice certainly isn’t wrong that in his assessment that there’s been plenty of “noise” in the build-up to the incredibly hotly-anticipated clash on Sunday. In light of Arsenal’s recent struggles, every fan, pounds and media outlet has had their say.
Following the draw with Sporting in midweek, Arsenal icon Thierry Henry said on CBS: “Go and win at Man City. I want to see that fire there. I believe, but show it. I hope (the performance against City is) not like tonight or against Brighton, Bournemouth or Mansfield, or anything I’ve seen this season. This is the biggest chance in their lives not just to shut anyone down, but to prove to themselves as a team that they can.”
Former Man City winger and Arsenal fan Shaun Wright-Phillips, meanwhile, urged the Gunners’ creative stars to play with more freedom. “The players are being restricted,” he said, via Covers.com. “Some of the squad look a shadow of their former selves, which is hard to watch. I’ve never known a team be top of the Premier League and receive so much criticism, but that’s down to how they’ve been coached by Mikel Arteta unfortunately.”
The truth, though, is that no-one associated with the north London club will be complaining if Arsenal go to the Etihad and claim a hard-fought point, no matter how grubby the match might become as a result. Given the difficult situation they now find themselves in, there is no shame in the Gunners ignoring the gravity of the occasion and playing to their strengths to remain in the box seat for the league title. Arsenal haven’t been crowd-pleasers all season, and Sunday certainly isn’t the time to change that.
