Mikel Arteta is anticipating assistance from his former mentor David Moyes as the Premier League title race culminates on Sunday afternoon.
Facing Pep Guardiola, another former colleague of Mikel, Moyes’ West Ham United could assist us in our pursuit of our first league title in two decades if they manage to take points off Manchester City while we secure a victory against Everton.
During his pre-match press conference at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Friday, Mikel was questioned about his recent conversation with Moyes, his former manager at Everton.
“No, I don’t think I need to do that, but he’s been instrumental and so important in my career, not only as a footballer but as a person as well,” he explained. “He could help us to fulfil our dream and my personal dream to win the Premier League. That would be unbelievable and always be in my memory.”
Manchester City are expected to win their match, but the last day of the season hasn’t always been easy for Guardiola’s team. They famously needed two stoppage-time goals to defeat Queens Park Rangers and secure the trophy from their Manchester rivals in 2012.
During the 2021/22 season, City clinched the title by a single point on the last day, rallying from a 2-0 deficit to secure a 3-2 victory against Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium, ultimately surpassing Liverpool in the standings.
“It’s really difficult to beat any opponent in the Premier League and when something is at stake as well, that task becomes more difficult,” Mikel added. “That’s not in our control, that’s for sure.
“We all know that they are a little bit closer because that’s one game less and they have to play at home, but they’re going play a really tough opponent. We have suffered this season [against West Ham] and over the last few seasons, it is really tough to beat them. I’m sure they’re going to be very at it and hopefully they can help us to achieve our dream.
“The beauty of this industry is that you come across people that you had experiences with in your life and it’s super important for you personally, and now you need something from them. Hopefully it will happen.”
