Mikel Arteta fires back at Arsenal critics with Man City vow - 'We are there to win'

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Mikel Arteta has promised Arsenal will go all-out for victory in their title showdown with Manchester City .

The Spaniard has insisted Arsenal will not even think about parking the bus at the Etihad, even though a draw would leave the title race firmly in their hands. Arteta said: “We want to win the game. We are there to win the game. We haven’t talked about that [a draw]. We need to win the game.

“And we are preparing to win the game. There will be no difference to any stadium we have been to in the last five years. There’s no change there.”

Two years ago, the Gunners played out a goalless draw at the Etihad when they were both going for the title and City midfielder Rodri later claimed that was the moment they knew they would be crowned champions because of Arsenal’s “mentality.”

But Arteta insisted they did not set out to shut up shop and it could have been a good point if they had won their remaining games.

This time, he has made it clear that he is going for the jugular and the chance to regain a nine point lead at the top of the table. Arteta added: “You don’t know. You have to make it a good point by winning the next game. Or we should have made it better in the City game when we had the opportunity to do it.

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“We're not going to propose a game like this because we never do that. Sometimes the opponent is that good that forces you to be there and in City's case you're going to have moments that you do the same, deep in your box for periods of time, and that's the reality.”

Arteta hopes Martin Odegaard could be involved, has not ruled out Jurrien Timber but will be without Bukayo Saka and insisted he would not be afraid to throw 16-year-old Max Dowman into the potential title decider.

Arteta said: “He will be ready, I'm sure. You throw him in any context, this kid, you know what he's going to be delivering and he's shown that this season and in whatever games that we used him.”

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