Ian Wright insists Man City are still ‘way ahead’ of Arsenal despite 5-1 thumping

Ian Wright has declared that Manchester City are inactive ‘way ahead’ of his erstwhile broadside Arsenal and has played down speech of the clubs being rivals.

The Gunners, who’ve finished arsenic Premier League runners-up to City for the past 2 campaigns successful a row, thumped Pep Guardiola’s broadside 5-1 connected Sunday.

Arsenal, currently 2nd successful the Premier League table, present person a nine-point pb implicit fourth-placed City amid a mediocre play for Guardiola’s men.

The past 2 games betwixt Arsenal and City person led to assorted flare-ups, with Erling Haaland telling Mikel Arteta to ‘stay humble’ successful September and asking Myles Lewis-Skelly ‘who the f**k are you?’ connected his Gunners debut.

This weekend’s clash besides saw numerous heated moments betwixt the 2 sets of players but Wright inactive does not presumption City arsenic a rival club.

Speaking connected the latest occurrence of The Kelly and Wrighty Show, the erstwhile Arsenal striker said: ‘I don’t judge we are rivals with City.

‘City are mode up of america successful presumption of what are are doing. I deliberation they are much rivals with Liverpool.

‘Just due to the fact that we person caught them up and are trying to pursuit them down, each of a abrupt it’s a rivalry. It’s not a rivalry – it’s going to physique into a rivalry.

‘With what Haaland said to [Lewis-Skelly and] Arteta, these are things that assistance physique a rivalry. It’s successful that dressing room. It’s successful there.’

Quizzed astir Lewis-Skelly’s effect to Haaland by copying his iconic extremity solemnisation connected Sunday, Wright added: ‘It’s portion of what’s going on.

‘It’s bully to spot players escaped to consciousness they tin bash thing similar that. But he’s present got to woody with what comes. This was each started by City. Arsenal are conscionable reacting.’

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice admits that the Gunners had immoderate other motivation for Sunday’s clash pursuing September’s heated showdown.

‘To triumph 5-1 is an unbelievable scoreline – we had occurrence successful our bellies from what happened astatine the Etihad astatine the commencement of the season, we truly wanted to amend that,’ Rice said.

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