Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal travel away to Etihad Stadium this Sunday as they take on the defending champions Manchester City in a crucial encounter in GW5.
A rivalry that has been one-sided for City in recent years, has seen Arsenal narrow the gap. Arteta’s side managed to get 4/6 points from Manchester City last season but it was unfortunately not enough to clinch the title as they came 2nd trailing by 2 points.
Manchester City came back from behind to beat Brentford in the previous gameweek thanks to the brace from their striking force Erling Haaland. An unbeaten start to the campaign sees Guardiola’s Blues sit at the top of the table. Despite the monumental start, Man City were held to a goalless draw in the Champions League to Inter Milan on Wednesday.
Arsenal battled through and came up front with a win in the North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur through Gabriel’s lone goal, which keeps them unbeaten and 2nd on the league table. Just like Pep Guardiola’s team, Arsenal were also held to a frustrating goalless draw to Italian side Atalanta FC on Thursday.
Pep Guardiola always praises his student’s growth in the game, and Mikel Arteta has gone from being his helping hand at Manchester City to competing head-to-head for the past two seasons, aiming to win the league. A rivalry which is poised by passion, excitement and lots of fire is expected to be seen in similar fashion this week.
Man City vs Arsenal – Kick-Off
Date: 22th September 2024, Sunday.
Time: 4:30 PM BST.
Venue: Etihad Stadium.
Manchester City vs Arsenal – Match Officials
Referee: Micheal Oliver.
Assistants: Stuart Burt, Dan Cook.
Fourth Official: Andy Madley.
VAR: John Brooks.
Assistant VAR: Richard West.
Man City vs Arsenal – Team News
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The biggest doubts for Man City in this fixture is De Bryne’s availability as he came off as a precaution during the midweek fixture against Inter Milan. However, Pep looks positive of his inclusion. Oscar Bobb and Nathan Ake are both nursing their respective injuries and are definitely out of the picture vs Arsenal.
For the Gunners, Declan Rice is back in contention to start after missing the previous game due to a chaotic red card decision vs Brighton. Captain Odegaard will miss upto 6-8 weeks of football after picking up an ankle injury on international duty. Riccardo Calafiori will be back with the squad as he participated in the midweek fixture vs Atalanta for the Gunners.
Mikel Merino is out of the squad as he’s recovering from a shoulder injury. Tierney and Tomiyasu were both pictured in training over the week and are yet to be assessed if they are game fit.
Pre-Match Tactical Analysis
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Manchester City boss Guardiola will be aware of Arsenal’s tactical changes in recent weeks. The absence of Odegaard and Arsenal’s reliance on a mid-block to accommodate changes in their squad is notable. Playing their usual tiki-taka football and creating spaces between their attack and midfield could be highly rewarding for Man City.
The biggest question in Arsenal’s lineup is who will replace Odegaard – whether Arsenal will start their 17-year-old academy starlet, pair Jorginho or Partey with Rice, or play Havertz at SS/AMF from the left-hand side, taking Odegaard’s role if Jesus is fit to play at CF. Alternatively, they could play Saka inwards to accommodate Sterling on the RW or start Calafiori after his impressive midweek spell. Mikel Arteta is aware of these decisions, as he stated in his pre-match conference, and seems ready to deploy the best options.
Creativity from the central zones by sitting deep with two DLPs, plus moments of individual brilliance, may be needed for the Gunners, as they showed against Spurs. Creating spaces to bait Manchester City’s press while leading the press intelligently themselves could be a difference maker.
Raya’s long balls over the top into Havertz’s zones have been effective in previous games. Havertz could win the ball and quickly recycle it through passes to Saka, which could become a routine. A stern defensive block, with an inversion from Timber, could see the LCM lay off passes in the final third to the LW, while Jesus could traffic those spaces and interchange.
Chance creation hasn’t been an issue for Man City this season, but they heavily depend on Haaland. If he struggles to get chances, City often fail to win, although it’s not the biggest problem. Against one of the best defenses from last season, City must capitalize on every opportunity, as Arsenal won’t give much breathing space. With Kevin De Bruyne doubtful for this fixture, the creative outlet might fall to Foden or Silva.
This game could prove to be a head-to-head key battle, with both sides equally capable of troubling each other and competing for the title long-term. Being clinical and taking all chances will be decisive for both sides. Arsenal’s injury-stricken squad may be susceptible to Guardiola’s tactical dominance. However, a point for the Gunners could be a positive result, considering Manchester City also remain unbeaten, so the table may not shift dramatically.
Manchester City vs Arsenal – Key Players
Erling Haaland
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Theres no introduction needed for the quality that Haaland has been producing for Man City ever since he’s signed. Pep’s main ammunition already has two hatricks to his name in the league this season and is preparing for this fixture with a brace against Brentford. Physicality, insane ball striking and the poachers instincts make him unstoppable. However, facing the likes of Saliba and Gabriel has been tough for him last season in particular where he was kept quiet. It’ll come down to that battle again and whether it could make a difference this time around.
Bukayo Saka
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Arsenal’s consistent star boy has made a strong start to the season, getting an assist through a corner last week against Tottenham – his form is just at an all time high. Having had 5 G/A to his name in the opening 4 fixtures, it’s rather his intelligence and maturity seeing him lead the charts. This game is the time in which he could have the keys in the central spaces in order to demonstrate his creativity and vision and continue his wonderful spell.
Man City vs Arsenal – Predicted Lineups
Man City predicted lineup vs Arsenal: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Gvardiol, Lewis, Rodri, Savinho, Silva, Gundogan, Grealish, Haaland.
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Man City: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Rice, Jorginho; Havertz, Martinelli, Jesus, Saka.
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