Man City and Arsenal’s predicted line-ups for Premier League title showdown
It’s too early to describe Manchester City and Arsenal‘s meeting at the Etihad as a title decider but the result could still have a significant bearing on where the trophy ends up by the end of the season.
Arsenal begin the weekend in top spot, but only goal difference separates them from Liverpool, who can leapfrog them with a win or draw against Brighton on Saturday, in second with City just a point behind the top two in third. All three have played the same number of games (28).
It has been a one-sided fixture in recent years with City winning 12 of the last 13 Premier League meetings between the clubs. Arsenal’s sole victory in that time, however, was in the corresponding game at the Emirates back in October when Gabriel Martinelli’s deflected winner ensured a 1-0 victory for the home side.
Both teams could be missing key personnel after several players withdrew from international duty, or else picked up knocks, while representing their countries over the past fortnight.
Here’s how i expects Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta to set their teams up on Sunday.
Manchester City
City will likely be without four key figures against their table-topping rivals.
John Stones may well be the headline absentee for Guardiola’s side with an adductor issue, which looks almost certain to keep him out of Sunday’s game.
Stones limped off just nine minutes into England’s 2-2 draw with Belgium on Tuesday, having played 90 minutes against Brazil the previous Saturday.
Despite starting just 10 Premier League games this season due to a slew of injuries, the former Everton defender plays a fundamental tactical role for City as a hybrid defensive midfielder/centre-back.
His absence will mean Guardiola likely has to switch from his preferred three-man backline to a four, bringing Josko Gvardiol in at left-back, next to central pair Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake.
Manuel Akanji is another option in the middle, but he was sent home from international duty with Switzerland injured and his status is currently unclear.
And there is no indication that Ederson has fully recovered from the injury he sustained against Liverpool earlier this month, meaning Stefan Ortega is set to start between the sticks.
But there is some good news for Guardiola at the back, as Kyle Walker appears likely to overcome his hamstring injury to start at the Etihad.
Walker was substituted off after 20 minutes for England against Brazil, but scans have indicated he just had a tight hamstring, rather than a more serious strain.
Given the right-back has started 25 of 28 league games so far this season, his fitness will be one of the key issues pre-match.
And there is more positivity further forward for City. With Rodri set to act as the lone pivot, Kevin De Bruyne is expected to be fit to start after not joining up with the Belgium squad over the international break.
De Bruyne has been spotted in training this week and should start in an attacking midfield quartet, alongside Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and Jeremy Doku, to pressurise Arsenal’s defensive midfield duo of Jorginho and Declan Rice.
And despite a slight injury concern while playing for Norway, Erling Haaland looks set to lead the line in the biggest remaining game of the season for City, up against William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
Predicted line-up (4-1-4-1): Ortega; Walker; Dias; Ake; Gvardiol; Rodri; Foden; Bernardo; De Bruyne; Doku; Haaland
Arsenal
We will soon discover the extent of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Magalhaes’ injuries that forced the pair to miss England and Brazil’s fixtures during the international break, but the expectation is that both withdrew as a precaution ahead of Sunday’s titanic battle and a gruelling April schedule. Both are expected to be named in Arteta’s starting line-up.
Gabriel Martinelli was another player pulled from his national team, although that was inevitable given he has missed Arsenal’s last two games after suffering a cut to his foot in the 6-0 thrashing of Sheffield United. The winger’s fitness has also been kept under wraps but Arteta has options in case the Brazilian is unable to feature.
Leandro Trossard would be the obvious replacement and is in decent form having scored four goals in his last eight matches. But Arteta has a Pep-like tendency to throw a curveball for a big game. Perhaps the industrious Gabriel Jesus could get the nod out wide against his former club after gradually stepping up his game-time in recent weeks.
Another dilemma that Arteta has is who to pick at left-back now that Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu are fit. Jakub Kiwior has started Arsenal’s last seven games in that position, though, and has done little to warrant being demoted. The Pole is more defensively inclined than Zinchenko too which makes his inclusion likely.
Elsewhere, Jorginho and Kai Havertz have both played themselves into Arteta’s strongest XI with some influential performances over the past couple of months.
Jorginho has often been picked alongside Declan Rice in big matches to provide experience and composure in the middle and given the stakes it would be a surprise if he was left out.
Havertz meanwhile has excelled as a floating centre forward, scoring in each of his last four league appearances as well as laying on two assists. His height and ability to hold the ball up could be important if Arsenal want to go long to alleviate City pressure.
Predicted line-up (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Jesus
