Arteta Warns Arsenal Players Against Showing Fear During Man City Game

• Manchester City will host Arsenal in a top-of-the-table EPL encounter this evening
• The Gunners hold a five-point advantage but their rivals have two games in hand
• Mikel Arteta's men made things difficult for themselves by drawing in recent games

Arsenal will be Manchester City's guest at the Etihad Stadium later tonight in a top-of-the-table clash and what could be a title decider between the two teams.

The Gunners are five points clear at the top of the Premier League table but have played two more games than their rivals, an advantage that will remain after tonight's game.

The league leaders have blown the race wider open with the results of their last three games - draws against Liverpool, West Ham, and Southampton - losing two-goal advantages in the first two stalemates, according to Sky Sports.

Arteta warns players against fear

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The energy of the Arsenal team has been down in the past three games. They have lacked the desire to stay at the top of games and Arteta has become less articulated on the touchline.

The former Man City assistant boss has now made a rallying call to his players not to exhibit fear going into the game and joked he would 'kill' anyone who showed they were scared.

“I’ve not seen any of my players being intimidated by that challenge, and if I do, I will kill them because I don’t want that at all,” he said, as quoted by Sun UK.

Arteta said the level of the match would demand perfection with every action.

“...We have to deliver that in our performance. Going toe-to-toe with City has been great but it’s not enough, and now we are in this position; we are going to win it.”

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However, Pep Guardiola feels differently, admitting it was okay not to be perfect and normal to feel nervous and scared as part of life, as reported by the Guardian.

Arsenal players break down

Sports Brief previously reported on Arsenal stars breaking down in tears after their third consecutive draw - that time against Southampton in their third consecutive game.

Captain, Martin Odegaard sparked late drama with a shot from outside the box before Bukayo Saka scored the third after a scramble in the box.

However, Arsenal players realised that in terms of their title aspirations, the game might as well have been lost instead of yet another draw.