Tony Adams: Arsenal need Plan B against Man City or title race is OVER
Arsenal icon Tony Adams says the Gunners are ‘City Lite’ because Mikel Arteta modeled them on his friend Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City…
Tony Adams insisted Arsenal must use a plan B in their massive title-deciding clash against Manchester City on Wednesday night – or suffer the consequences.
The leading Gunners travel to the Etihad Stadium to take on second-placed City in what is being billed as a ‘Premier League final’.
Arsenal are five points ahead of City, but have played two games more, so if Pep Guardiola’s men are victorious, they are two points behind with two games to go.
Club legend Adams told The sun that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta’s all-in game plan could see them come loose against the side that has won four of the last five Premier League titles – and urged them to use a different approach.
“When I interviewed Martin Odegaard for TV on Monday, he asked me what advice I would give Arsenal ahead of Wednesday’s game at Manchester City. My answer was two words: ‘Don’t lose.’ If Arsenal succeed, the title race is still open.
Tony Adams has urged Arsenal to use a plan B against Man City – or face the consequences
Gunners legend Adams urged boss Mikel Arteta (left) to use a different approach at the Etihad
Arteta spent three years as an assistant under Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola (left).
‘If not, it’s over. I’d love nothing more than to see a boring 0-0 draw, but I can guarantee that won’t happen because Arsenal only know one way to play – and that’s s**t or bust. Every time Arsenal have won league titles it has been when they have the right balance between defense and attack.
“This current team doesn’t have that balance. I don’t think he has a plan B so on Wednesday night they go to the Etihad and try to beat the best team in Europe and probably won’t be good enough.
Mikel has modeled everything on what his mate Pep Guardiola has done and as a result Arsenal are City Lite. But you can’t win the title by copying a better version, because Pep has more resources in his arsenal than Arsenal… they have to try something else.’
Meanwhile, Guardiola has admitted he fears a backlash from Arsenal in their crunch clash.
Arteta takes the leaders to the Etihad on a three match winless streak and knowing the defending champion will hand over the advantage.
“I always felt it would have been so difficult to play against them at this stage,” said the City manager. “But after three games with a loss of points, it is now much, much more difficult.
“I would have preferred that they had come here with better results. They haven’t won a game. It would always be difficult, but with these results it will be [now] be much more difficult.
“You can play badly and the opponent can do a lot of good things. The difference is maybe because our defenders are [now] good defenders and good defending and that helps us to be solid, but this is not going to happen with the way Arsenal play.’
