Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiol both say the top-of-the-table game between Manchester City and Arsenal will not decide the Premier League title race while Chelsea interim boss Frank Lampard says Reece James will miss the rest of the season and Mason Mount is “unlikely” to feature in the final seven games.
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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says if his side wants to become Premier League champions then they must beat title rivals Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night.
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League leaders Arsenal are five points above Pep Guardiola’s side before Wednesday’s match at Etihad Stadium. However, second-placed City has two games in hand on the Gunners who have drawn three matches in succession.
“It is really important, but not decisive because there are many games to play,” City boss Guardiola said.
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The two Spaniards worked together at City before Arteta left to become Arsenal manager in 2019, but Guardiola says “nothing changes” their relationship when their sides face each other.
“We see each other less and we speak less but our relationship is always happy,” he said.
The Gunners have suffered defeats by City in both the league and FA Cup already this season and Arteta expects another “difficult” game.
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Arsenal, who last won the Premier League in 2004, drew 3-3 against bottom-placed Southampton on Friday, after squandering two-goal leads against both West Ham and Liverpool.
“If we win tomorrow we have not won the league. It will shift probably the percentage, but five games in this league is very tricky still,” he said.
“We knew we had to go to Etihad, it will be difficult, but will it decide the season? No,” Arteta added.
“The belief is there, I look at how the players reacted after Southampton, and they defend each other in every moment. We really want it and we are again going to show it tomorrow night.”
Reece James: Injury rules out Chelsea defender for the rest of the season
Chelsea interim boss Frank Lampard says Reece James will miss the rest of the season and Mason Mount is “unlikely” to feature in the final seven games.
James has been ruled out after a scan on a hamstring problem, while Mount has a pelvic injury.
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“Reece James will be unavailable for the rest of the season, Mason Mount the same,” said Lampard.
Chelsea are in advanced talks with former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino to take charge.
“Reece had a hamstring injury in the midweek game,” added Lampard. “He got through it but then had a scan and he’s out.
“Mason has been carrying a pelvic injury for a while. It predates myself and he has been trying typically but he will have minor surgery, then a four-week recovery. “He [Mount] might make the last match but that’s unlikely, which is obviously disappointing for us.”
The Blues are 11th in the Premier League table and their season is effectively over after they were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid in the quarter-finals last week.
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Argentine Pochettino could take over before the end of the campaign, but former midfielder Lampard, who is Chelsea’s all-time leading goal scorer, said the club has “big difficulties”.
Asked whether he expects to be in charge for the remaining games, Lampard added: “I wouldn’t expect anything in football, but we have come into a club with big difficulties, with not a lot of time.
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“[There are] a lot of factors as to the four games I have been here. The team and club have been struggling for a while. We are here to help but things won’t change in a short time.”
English Premier League Tuesdays round 33 results
Wolves 2-0 Crystal Palace
Aston Villa 1-0 Fulham
Leeds 1-1 Leicester City
