News

Harry Maguire names which team he thinks are better between Arsenal and Man City

Add as preferred source on Google

Arsenal and Manchester City are locked in one of the tightest title races we’ve seen in modern times.

The two teams almost literally can’t be separated at the moment as, if City win their game in hand, it may just be goals scored separating the two sides.

Position Team Played MP Won W Drawn D Lost L For GF Against GA Diff GD Points Pts
1 ArsenalArsenal34 22 7 5 64 26 38 73
2 Manchester CityManchester City33 21 7 5 66 29 37 70
3 Manchester UnitedManchester United34 17 10 7 60 46 14 61
4 LiverpoolLiverpool34 17 7 10 57 44 13 58

Speaking on The Overlap, Harry Maguire has made a bold claim about the title race.

The England star has gone out on a limb and claimed that Arsenal are actually the better side compared to Manchester City, despite recent results and the growing momentum around Pep Guardiola’s team.

Simple question: Would you rather be in Pep Guardiola or Mikel Arteta’s shoes right now?

Mikel Arteta embraces Pep Guardiola before Arsenal vs Manchester City
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images

Harry Maguire thinks Arsenal are better than Man City

Manchester United faced both Arsenal and City early in the season and managed to beat both, but Maguire’s takeaway from those games was not shaped by the scorelines alone. Instead, it was about how each team felt to play against.

“I always, honestly, I always thought Arsenal was the better team. When we played them. Just because, it’s honestly, they give you nothing. They give you, they were so solid.”

That is a significant statement given City’s pedigree and current standing.

Arsenal’s defence has been immense this season, it has to be said.

Maguire is pointing to control and defensive structure rather than attacking flair. Arsenal, in his view, are harder to play against because they limit space, stay organised, and do not allow teams to build momentum. That makes them more difficult to break down over the course of a game.

His comments about United’s win at the Emirates underline that point.

“We beat you at the Emirates, but we didn’t create much and we scored two worldies.”

That type of result suggests Arsenal were not outplayed, even in defeat. Instead, it took moments of individual brilliance to break them down, rather than sustained pressure or clear dominance.

Sadly for Arsenal, at this stage of the season, individual moments of brilliance can turn a game, and turning one game can mean turning the entire title race.

As Maguire says, Arsenal may well be the better team than City, but in a race this short and this tight, luck will have a massive part to play.