Wayne Rooney believes Manchester City hold a psychological advantage in the Premier League title race.
The Manchester United legend believes City’s title-winning experience will be vital during the final weeks of the season.
Arsenal currently lead the table by nine points but have played two more matches than their rivals. The two sides meet at the Etihad Stadium this Sunday for a massive title decider.
Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, he said City “know how to win the title.” He also highlighted that Pep Guardiola is “a manager who knows how to do it.”
Rooney argued that City will stay “calmer than the Arsenal players” during high-pressure moments. “I think City will have the edge on that, just purely the manager and players they’ve got.”
Rooney believes experience gives City the edge over Arsenal
Conversely, Arsenal may struggle with a negative mindset following their recent 2-1 defeat by Bournemouth. Rooney warned that losing games can cause players to worry about where the next win will come from.
“That negative mindset really has an impact on your performance,” the former striker added. The former England captain suggested that Mikel Arteta’s side might even need to “play dirty.”
Moreover, Arsenal must remain resilient and avoid leaving gaps between their defensive lines. Rooney urged the Gunners to do anything to stop their rivals from winning.
“They need to be resilient enough to stop City from scoring,” Rooney explained. City enter the match after beating Chelsea 3-0 to take advantage of Arsenal’s recent slip-up.
They recently thrashed reigning champions Liverpool 4-0 to maintain their impressive form. Consequently, a draw might be a good point for the Gunners in Manchester.
Victory for either side would make them the firm favourites to lift the trophy in May. All eyes now turn to the Etihad for this crucial Sunday afternoon kick-off.
