Gary Neville tells Mikel Arteta how to defeat Pep Guardiola ahead of Man City vs Arsenal

Gary Neville believes Mikel Arteta must take a specific mental approach to get the best of Pep Guardiola.

Arsenal face Manchester City on April 26, and the clash could well decide the Premier League title. City have closed to gap to just four points while also having a game in-hand to call upon. That means if Guardiola’s men win their game in hand and defeat Arsenal, they will assume full control of the title race.

The Gunners once held a comfortable lead, but having slipped up regularly of late, they now find themselves sitting nervously above a City side that has experience of coming out on top in title races. Not only that, but the Citizens are the Premier League’s most in-form team, now playing their best football of the season.

Still, Arsenal are in control of their own fate, and they have already delivered big results when called upon this season, even under pressure. The question is now whether they can find a way to defeat City.

According to Sky Sports pundit Neville, Arteta has to embrace the game in a way that Guardiola unquestionably will be.

“This is something to be excited about, not something to feel pressure about,” Neville said. “City will love this game, because they’ve been there before, Guardiola will love this game. But Arteta’s got to love this game, and I’m sure he will. And his players have got to love this game.

“Martinelli, Saka, Odegaard, Jesus… They can go and rip City to shreds, a week on Wednesday. They can! They can go and score three at the Etihad. That’s what they’ve got to think, they’ve got to think they’re going to go and create history. Think of Michael Thomas, think of Ljungberg at Old Trafford, think of all those times where their players and their predecessors have done it before.”