Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has stated that he and his teammates are neither bothered nor speaking about Manchester City as they continue their race for the Premier League title with a fixture against the Pep Guardiola-led side on Wednesday.

Both teams go head-to-head with just three points separating them as the Gunners dropped points in their last two games in the Premier League, which includes a 1-0 loss to Everton and a 1-1 draw against Brentford last weekend.

While Manchester City could not take advantage of Arsenal’s slip at Merseyside, having lost 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur, they were able to sweep aside Aston Villa in a 3-1 win on Sunday.
Xhaka, who featured all 90 minutes in the 1-1 with Brentford, stated that his team is only focused on Wednesday’s game, with victory their priority.

“If we are honest, we are not speaking about them [City]. We are looking at ourselves, game by game. We didn’t win [against Brentford]; we took one point. And Wednesday is big – for them, for us. So, let’s see.” Xhaka said.

One of the critical points for Arsenal is the doubt surrounding the availability of Erling Haaland for Manchester City after he was substituted in the early minutes of the second half due to an injury.

The Norwegian forward has scored 25 times for Pep Guardiola’s side this season in the Premier League.

Wednesday’s fixture is the first time both teams will meet this season in the Premier League; their clash in the FA Cup was a 1-0 victory for Manchester City.

Arsenal leads the Premier League table with 51 points, while Manchester City follows closely behind with 48 points; Manchester United are third and also closing in on the Premier League title race with 45 points.

Daniel Ademiju Idowu