"We will need to be perfect" - Mikel Arteta reveals only way Arsenal can defeat Man City

Mikel Arteta thinks Arsenal will need to play the "perfect" football to defeat Manchester City in the championship game on Wednesday night.

The Gunners manager will participate in his penultimate practice before Wednesday night's critical trip to the Etihad Stadium, where he acknowledged his squad would once again be missing key defender William Saliba.

With a win versus Arsenal, City will be one step closer to reclaiming their Premier League championship and completing an unprecedented Triple.

The team of Pep Guardiola is in excellent form right now, having won 11 of their previous 12 games overall.

'Belief and psychology plays a huge part,' said Arteta. 

'Obviously the belief is there. When I look at how they trained, how they react, the mood in the dressing room, how they've been defending each other in every moment.

'We really want it and we're going to show that again tomorrow night. Then you have to deliver in the right moment, the right performance and it has to be perfection because that's what this last level demands – absolute perfection in every single ball.'

Saliba's lower back injury has caused substantial "structural damage," which might need an extended recovery period if he continues to play this season.

He won't play against City and most likely won't play against Chelsea the following week.

Despite the club's insistence that Saliba's prolonged absence is not due to a disc issue, sources have told Mail Sport that the back issue is related to painful "structural damage" to his lower back that has also raised concerns about one of his lumbar discs.

On Tuesday morning, Arteta declined to comment when asked whether the Saliba is experiencing disc problems.

The medical staff was worried that Saliba might miss the remainder of the season after he was hurt against Sporting Lisbon on March 16.

But since his side is in a championship battle, the defender has been itching to participate once again.

Saliba has had extensive medical treatment in an effort to return to the field as soon as possible. The team oversees Saliba's recuperation on a daily basis.

Saliba may play some part in Wednesday's crucial match against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, according to sources who claim he has resumed training on grass in recent days.