Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta wants his team to relish the opportunity and raise the bar ahead of the game against Manchester City.
With ten games remaining in a thrilling title chase, Arsenal leads the Premier League table with 64 points, while holders City are in third place with 63.
Arsenal will be anxiously watching to see if Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Bukayo Saka will be fit for the match. With 64, Liverpool is in second place.
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Arsenal’s nine-year winless streak at the Etihad would stop with a victory, which would greatly enhance their title chances.
“We’ve done a lot already to be in the position that we are and now we have to embrace and enjoy the moment and go for it,” Arteta told reporters on Friday.
“(City) have raised the bar in this league, I think in football in general, to a level that hadn’t been seen before,” he added.
“And that’s the beauty of the sport, that makes you better, that challenges you more and you have to keep up with that pace. And that’s what we are trying to do.”
The Gunners have been playing at a higher level lately, winning their last eight league games and scoring an incredible 33 goals.
The two Spaniards’ connection dates back to their playing days, when Arteta worked as Guardiola’s assistant at City before taking over as manager of Arsenal.
But their connection has changed as a result of sitting in different dugouts.
“It has to change, (but) my admiration for him certainly not,” Arteta said of Guardiola.
“My opinion is he is the best coach in the world by a mile and he’s one of the nicest people I have met in football.
“But our roles at the moment are where they are and it has to adapt to the situation.
Though it isn’t up to me, I would probably rather (beat) someone else with whom I don’t feel that way about friendship. We are both interested in victory.
We are very familiar with one another, and I’ll set up the game to win.”
Before the international break, Arsenal was the league’s best team, and Arteta is hoping they can soon reclaim any lost ground.
“You cannot (maintain momentum), that momentum is gone,” he said.
“Now everybody’s back, everybody’s so positive about what is coming and looking forward to it.
“I was watching everybody walk in the building and I love the energy,” he added.
“I loved their smiles, they were glad to be back.
They were actually wanting to train yesterday.”
Since the team’s return from break, strikers Saka and Martinelli and centre back Gabriel have not practiced, although Arteta said there’s a chance they may play.
With a hamstring injury, Saka pulled out of the England team, and Gabriel (Achilles) and Martinelli (foot) did not play for Brazil.
“There is a chance,” Arteta said. “They haven’t trained but tomorrow we have another session.”
Arteta supported Ben White’s decision to make himself unavailable for England selection when asked about the criticism the defender has received.
“I think he has received a lot of love and just have to see what his team mates and everybody in football thinks of him, people have respected his decision and hopefully one day he is prepared to represent his country in the best possible way,” said Arteta.
“But that’s completely up to him.”