Wayne Rooney believes Manchester City “will have the edge” mentally as the Premier League title race reaches its decisive stage. Arsenal, six points clear but having played one game more, travel to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday for a clash Rooney describes as a potential “title decider.”
Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, the former England captain said City’s experience under Pep Guardiola gives them a crucial advantage. “City know how to win the title, and they have a manager who knows how to do it,” Rooney said. “They’ll be able to stay a little calmer than the Arsenal players.”
Rooney warned that Arsenal’s recent dip — including a 2–1 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday — could trigger the kind of negative mindset that derails title challenges. “When you go on a run and lose a few games, you start thinking, ‘Where’s the next goal, the next win going to come from?’ That mindset really impacts your performance.”
Manchester City capitalized on Arsenal’s slip by beating Chelsea 3–0 on Sunday, tightening the gap ahead of their showdown at the Etihad. Rooney said the winner of Sunday’s match will become the clear favourite to lift the trophy, though he believes a draw would be “a good point” for Arsenal.
He added that Mikel Arteta’s side may need to “play dirty” to survive the occasion. “They have to be tough to break down, make sure there are no gaps between the lines, and try to hit City on the break,” Rooney said. “Whether the fans like that type of football or not, they have to do anything to stop City winning. They need to be resilient enough to stop City from scoring.”
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