Arteta insists City match isn't title decider

Mikel Arteta know how important Wednesday's match at Manchester City is for his team, but says it's not going to decide the Premier League title.

The Arsenal manager said his team still believes in themselves with the defending champions breathing down their necks.

"We knew we had to go to Etihad, it will be difficult, but will it decide the season? No," Arteta said at his Tuesday availability. "The belief is there, I look at how the players reacted after Southampton, they defend each other in every moment. We really want it and we are again going to show it tomorrow night. But it has to be perfect because that is what is demanded at this time in the season."

Arsenal is on a run of three straight draws, including last Friday's 3-3 stalemate with Southampton, that has allowed Pep Guardiola's men to pull within five points of the Gunners with two games in hand. Even with the extra breathing room a win on Thursday would bring, Arteta says three points won't slay any dragons just yet.

"If we win tomorrow we have not won the league," the  It will shift probably the percentage, but five games in this league is very tricky still," Arteta said. "We knew from the beginning City and Liverpool were the teams to beat, what they have done for the last six to seven years they deserve credit. We wanted to close the gap, now we are toe to toe."

Midfielder Granit Xhaka and defender William Saliba remain out for the Gunners.

City defender Nathan Ake is also a doubt.