MIKEL ARTETA has guided Arsenal to the top of the Premier League by sticking to his guns.
But, ahead of their biggest game of the season at home to title rivals Manchester City on Wednesday, the temptation to twist will be greater than ever.
City narrowed the gap at the top to three points yesterday, beating Aston Villa 3-1 to capitalise on Arsenal drawing 1-1 with Brentford on Saturday.
If Pep Guardiola’s side win at Emirates Stadium, they will go ahead of Arsenal for the first time since the second week of the season.
For the first time this season, the Gunners are wobbling.
They have dropped points in back-to-back games and Arteta could be tempted to shuffle his pack to freshen up the team.
Arsenal were unchanged for the sixth game in a row against Brentford and Arteta has made just 14 changes to his starting XI all season, the fewest of any Premier League manager.
Knocking on the door loudest and pushing to come into the team is Leandro Trossard, who opened the scoring on Saturday four minutes after coming off the bench.
This story is from the February 13, 2023 edition of Evening Standard.
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This story is from the February 13, 2023 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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