Kyle Walker has already given Manchester City a tough test despite facing his ‘friends’ as Arsenal awaits in what would be a dream result for the former Pep Guardiola favourite
Manchester City legend Kyle Walker will be plotting Arsenal’s downfall on Monday night as Burnley come to the Emirates Stadium. Despite having already been relegated and with nothing to play for, Walker has plenty of motivation to upset the Gunners.
Arsenal could be crowned champions on Monday night if Manchester City slip up against Crystal Palace this Wednesday. However, having spent eight years with City and won 13 major trophies, including six Premier League titles, the recently retired England international has all the emphasis on his side to inspire his team to a major upset.
They showed against Aston Villa, holding them to a 2-2 draw at Turf Moor this past weekend, that despite their plight they will continue to fight until their last minute in the Premier League this season. Walker has already spoken out about needing to be professional when he faced his former club a fortnight ago.
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“I think anyone can be stopped in a one-off 90 minutes,” Walker said when speaking ahead of Burnley’s 1-0 defeat to Man City at Turf Moor. “We need to go and make a [good showing] of ourselves as Burnley Football Club, but they also need to go and show why they’re playing for Manchester City.”
He added: “It’s not going to be a red carpet rolled out for them at Turf Moor. We need to make it ugly, make the game our game, and make sure that we can put a halt to the waves of attack that are going to be coming at our end.
“I know what they’re saying in that dressing room, ‘Foot to the floor now, we can smell Arsenal, keep the pressure on’. I’ve seen both sides of the coin.
“I can assure you it’s a very difficult position to be in; I’ve got a lot of friends there. But I have my Burnley cap on, and I have to be a professional.”
While it might have been ‘difficult’ for Walker to give his all against City, no such barriers will exist on Monday night. It is the Gunners’ last home game of the season, and there will be a massive atmosphere on the night.
Yet the record is good for Scott Parker’s side. Arsenal have beaten Burnley just once in the last three meetings in north London, drawing 0-0 in 2022 and losing 0-1 in 2020. These games should be stark reminders of what is to come for Arteta, and put his players under no illusions of the challenge they face.
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