Arteta’s make-or-break Manchester showdown: Can Arsenal turn near-misses into a title-defining moment?

Arteta’s make-or-break Manchester showdown: Can Arsenal turn near-misses into a title-defining moment?

Arsenal's trip to Manchester City this afternoon feels like a watershed moment for Mikel Arteta.

Arteta has turned the fortunes of Arsenal around in recent seasons, restoring the North London side to contenders from their lowest ebb of thePremier League era. The next, and most important, step has proven to be the hardest.

For three consecutive seasons, Arsenal have finished asPremier League runners-up. Strong seasons have not ended with silverware, and Arteta was taunted with an 'Always the bridesmaid, never the bride" banner at Anfield last season, as the Liverpool fans mocked another near miss.

"I think this year, or by the end of next season, you need to see some kind of trophies there. If not, particularly, the way football is these days, I think they’ll be looking to change again. I think this is a big season. When the time comes, middle of May, end of May, will be time to sit back and look."

Those words are not about Arteta, though you could be forgiven for thinking so.

It's an ultimatum aimed at Jurgen Klopp in 2018by former Liverpool forward John Toshack. Klopp's arc at Liverpool had followed a similar path to Arteta's with Arsenal. He inherited a side mired in mediocrity, whose history haunted them as seasons passed by without major prizes. Progress was obvious, but questions were asked after Klopp lost each of his first three finals.