Arsenal will aim to reclaim the Premier League top spot when they face Newcastle United, as Mikel Arteta and his squad know it’s now or never
Arsenal will aim to reclaim their position at the top of the Premier League table on Saturday after being knocked down to second in midweek.
Manchester City’s victory at Burnley on Wednesday not only sent the Clarets tumbling out of England’s elite division but propelled them to first place in the process. Nevertheless, the title battle remains very much in the balance, with five fixtures remaining. The Gunners can regain pole position with a home triumph over Newcastle.
Meanwhile, City will have their attention diverted by their FA Cup semi-final clash against Southampton, before Pep Guardiola’s side next play Everton away on May 4. Mikel Arteta will know that if his men do the business, by that point Arsenal will have faced Fulham at home on May 2 and could be six points clear. Here’s all the latest news from the Emirates.
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Neville and Keane disagree on Rice refusal
Following the setback against City last Sunday, there was one figure on the Etihad pitch refusing to concede the title race is finished.
Declan Rice could be spotted telling team-mates the title discussion is “not done” in a resolute rejection of simply surrendering and accepting defeat, reports the Mirror.
City manager Pep Guardiola interpreted Rice’s remarks as evidence of Arsenal’s robust mental strength and that the title battle remains alive.
Manchester United legends Roy Keane and Gary Neville hold contrasting views, though, regardless of how embattled Rice may have appeared. Neither believes the Gunners squad possesses the capability to knock City off their stride at this crucial juncture.
Analysing the incident on Stick to Football, Neville said: “No, if I was watching Declan Rice nearly in tears, and saying it’s not done, I’d be thinking you’re done. ‘It’s not done, It’s not done.’ I look at him and think he’s done…
“It’s a good response, I’m just saying I didn’t feel confident. I’m a big fan of his and I said potentially last week that he would grip that game.”
To that, Keane sharply responded: “And did he? Did he?” To which Neville replied that it was instead the City pairing of Rodri and Bernardo Silva who controlled matters.
Piling on further, Keane continued: “Exactly, exactly. You have to win that middle-of-the-park battle.”
Guardiola admired Rice’s mindset and suggested it encapsulated exactly why Arsenal find themselves in the title race at all. Nevertheless, it’s challenging to dispute the idea that the Premier League now appears to be City’s to surrender in the forthcoming weeks.
Mingueza likely to leave on free
On the transfer scene, Arteta has received a boost in his alleged chase for Celta Vigo’s Oscar Mingueza.
The fellow Barcelona academy product, 26, is valued at around £15m. But he is out of contract come summer and is believed to be on the radar of several suitors, including Arsenal.
Mingueza, who is versatile across the backline, is reportedly drawing interest from Aston Villa and Fulham.
However, The Telegraph recently suggested the Gunners see him as an ideal successor for Ben White should he depart this summer.
While Celta may harbour hopes of extending the player’s stay at Balaidos, manager Claudio Giraldez doesn’t seem overly optimistic.
“He’s a fantastic player. He has a tremendous personality,” he told Sport during a chat about the player and his future in Vigo beyond this summer. “I hope he can stay. But we know it will be difficult to keep him.
“I hope he can have a great career because he still has a lot of room for improvement. I like him a lot.”
Minguez was part of Barcelona until 2022, when he made the switch to Celta for roughly £2.5million.