Mikel Arteta reveals what Arsenal must do to compete with Manchester City

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says his team needs to play at a different level to be able to compete with league leaders Manchester City.

Arsenal were thumped 4-1 by Pep Guardiola’s Man City last Wednesday in a game that swung the title race in City’s favour. 

The Etihad side have now leapfrogged Arsenal as league leaders after their 2-1 win over Fulham on Sunday afternoon. 

Arteta said: “There are levels. We have moments where we play to a different level.

“Man City, at the moment, they have moments where they play to a different level.

“Liverpool can take the game to a different level. It’s when that happens that is important.

“It’s on the day, are you able to raise that level on this occasion? That’s what we didn’t do against Man City."

Despite suffering a significant blow with the City defeat, Arsenal can still equal their highest Premier League points total of 90 with five games remaining.

Arteta added: “It takes time to build the perfect team. You don’t do it in one, two or three years. That’s seven years’ worth of process with a lot of good decisions and we are trying to do something different.

“You cannot copy and paste. At the Emirates, we played the same and we could have beaten them.

“But at the end, we didn’t. Why? Because when they raised that level a little more, boom, they took the game in individual moments. That’s what we have to recognise and not accept. Do not accept it.”

Arsenal are back in Premier League action against Chelsea at the Emirates on Tuesday night in what is now a must-win game or they can say goodbye to the title. The Gunners are a point behind City, who also have the luxury of a game in hand.