Ian Wright ‘offers’ honest verdict on Arsenal vs Man City while Gunners ‘target’ free agent midfielder

Arsenal endured their second consecutive match without a win at the weekend as they drew 1-1 with Brentford at the Emirates Stadium. The clash follows their shock defeat to Everton last time out, however it was met with plenty of criticism given their was a blatant offside in the lead up to Ivan Toney’s equaliser.

While fans remain frustrated by the VAR mistake, the Gunners’ attention now turns to Wednesday in what could be their biggest match in years. Mikel Arteta’s side will host Manchester City and find themselves level on points with the defending champions if they lose on home soil, however they would still have a game in hand.

Ahead of the highly anticipated clash, here are the latest news headlines from North London...

Ian Wright’s verdict

Ian Wright has shared his thoughts ahead of Arsenal vs Man City this week as the Gunners look to regain a six point lead on their rivals. While they have failed to win in their previous two matches, Pep Guardiola’s side have also endured three defeats in all competitions since the the turn of the year - the same amount as the entirety of last season.

Speaking on Match of the Day 2 on Sunday night, Wright said: “We saw what he [Haaland] can do with his stretching of the team which is something that can cause problems, but it was always going to be a tough game for Arsenal. We’ve seen what City are capable of without Haaland.

“It’s a game that Arsenal need to win, they need to win their home games and City are coming there now knowing if they win that game they’ll go top. Pep’s talking about it’s still early but they know this terrain, they know what they need to be doing. But I think Arsenal will be ready for them. Arsenal will be looking forward to this game. It was unfortunate against Brentford how that turned out but I think the point is good enough.”

Haaland has been exceptional for Man City this season and has netted an impressive 25 goals in 21 games in the top flight, however it is unclear whether he will be fit for their trip to Arsenal after he picked up a knock in their win over Aston Villa. The Norwegian’s absence could pave the way for World Cup winner Julian Alvarez, who has four goals in the Premier League so far.

Youri Tielemans pursuit

Despite failing to land Youri Tielemans in January and instead opting to snap up Jorginho, Arsenal are reportedly still eager to sign the Leicester City star this summer. Tielemans is out of contract at the end of the season and could join the Gunners for free.

Tielemans has been exceptional for Leicester since joining from Monaco in 2019, however their poor form this season has led to him being heavily linked with a move away - with the Gunners thought to be in pole position for his signature during the first half of the campaign. With the Belgian set to leave the club in the summer, GiveMeSport journalist Dean Jones has revealed that there is still the possibility of him joining Arteta’s side.

Jones said: “It’s not impossible that Arsenal now make their move for him. Arsenal were always against paying a fee for him, knowing that he could be available for free if they could get this far.”

Tielemans has previously been linked with the likes of Manchester United, Newcastle and Liverpool and Arsenal will certainly face tough competition for his signature if they are to continue their pursuit in the summer.