Arsenal and Manchester City’s fiery rivalry is a natural byproduct of both teams’ desire to be the best, the north London club’s captain Martin Ødegaard said ahead of their Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Arsenal finished runners-up to City in 2022-23 and took the Premier League title race to the final day last season before once again finishing second behind Pep Guardiola’s side.
Tempers flared during their last meeting in September as Ødegaard’s Norwegian compatriot Erling Haaland threw the ball at Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães and directed heated words at Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, asking him to “stay humble.”
“I think in football, games like this, the emotions are so high and the adrenaline is there and everything. That’s something that can happen on the pitch and then when you walk off the pitch, then you are done with it,” Ødegaard said.
“It is not something I think too much about. I think it is normal when you play these big games that there is a big rivalry. You are competing and you want to be the best. So, that’s how it should be and there should be a little bit of heat sometimes.
“But then, I think a lot of the players know each other from the national team — England, Brazil, me with Erling — so on the pitch and off the pitch it is a bit different. When we are on the pitch, then it’s a good battle.”
City are fourth in the league standings with 41 points while second-placed Arsenal, with 47 points, are six points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.
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