Arsenal – Manchester City will deliver on quality, Wenger predicts

Arsene Wenger expects Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Manchester City to live up to its box-office billing.

The league’s third and fourth-placed teams meet at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday in a fixture that has averaged four goals per game over the last three seasons.

Wenger is keen to see his side respond to Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat at Everton, in which Gunners squandered a 1-0 lead.

And he expects a battle of footballing philosophies with Pep Guardiola to delight fans of stylish play.

“You want to respond in a positive way with a positive result,” he told a news conference.

“I believe we are on a long-term target to fight for the Premiership so we know that when you have a target like that you go through disappointments and the way you respond is most important.”

He added of the City game: “I believe that in the Premier League, every game is different and every game has its own difficulties and uncertainties.

“Every game is a fight and teams that are exposed in the Champions League like they are, like we are, can be more exposed in this period, they play midweek and we did too, we have three away games out of four and we paid the price at Everton

“What you want of a top level game is that it responds to the expectation, quality-wise.

“So I hope both teams will achieve that, I think it will happen yes because I’m a positive man and I expect a big game to be special, with a special performance and special experience for people who love football.”