Arsenal staged a remarkable comeback to salvage a 3-3 draw against bottom club Southampton on Friday night, but the dropped points gave Manchester City the advantage in the Premier League title race.
After throwing away 2-0 leads in its last two games, Mikel Arteta’s side escaped with a point despite trailing 3-1 with two minutes of normal time left in the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal still lead by five points but City have two games in hand and the Gunners need a win against Pep Guardiola’s side at the Etihad on Wednesday to take control of their own destiny.
“I can’t wait, these are the games you want to play. When everything is at stake you have to go there to win,” Arteta said.
“This is the beauty of this game, you want to be in these positions. We have a fantastic trip to Manchester and we will prepare well.
Arteta said none of his players were “hiding” on Friday and said the fact they were able to salvage a point, and almost grab a winner, spoke volumes for their spirit. .
“This young team reacted in an incredible way, when it was against the odds but the chances they created and the spirit they had were a joy to watch,” said Arteta.
“The message is clear, that I love them.”