There is a battle of behemoths at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon when Arsenal host Manchester City in their second Premier League title test this term.
The Gunners, who have finished runners-up in the past three seasons and twice to City, were beaten by reigning champions Liverpool on their trip to Anfield before the September international break, with Mikel Arteta scrutinised for his cautious, safety-first approach on Merseyside.
Arsenal recovered from their setback by beating Nottingham Forest and Athletic Club over the past week, with their stellar defensive record remaining intact. They have conceded just once this term to Dominik Szoboszlai’s stupendous free kick but will be tested by one of world football’s most formidable forward lines on Sunday.
City flexed their attacking muscles in their 3–0 derby victory over Manchester United last weekend and extended their winning run by beating Napoli in the Champions League on Thursday night. Even Arsenal’s resilient rearguard will be fearing the arrival of Erling Haaland, who took his tally for club and country to 12 for the season midweek.
Pep Guardiola’s side are vulnerable at the back, however, with their defensive deficiencies exploited by Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion already this season. They will need to sharpen up to walk away from north London with a positive result.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to a tantalising battle.
What Time Does Arsenal vs. Man City Kick Off?
- Location: London, England
- Stadium: Emirates Stadium
- Date: Sunday, Sept. 21
- Kick-off Time: 4.30 p.m. BST / 11.30 a.m. ET / 8.30 a.m. PT
- Referee: Stuart Attwell
- VAR: Jarred Gillett
Arsenal vs. Man City Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Arsenal: 3 wins
- Man City: 0 wins
- Draws: 2
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to Watch Arsenal vs. Man City on TV, Live Stream
Arsenal Team News
Arteta has refused to rule Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard and Ben White out of Sunday’s crucial encounter, but has admitted that the injured trio “haven’t done anything yet” in preparation for City’s visit. It seems extremely unlikely that they will start and they could all miss out entirely.
In better news, William Saliba is fully fit once more and should replace Cristhian Mosquera in Arsenal’s backline—although the summer recruit has been excellent over recent matches.
Viktor Gyökeres and Mikel Merino have been passed fit and healthy after suffering head injuries in the victory over Athletic Club midweek, but Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus remain missing in the forward line.
Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trsosard both starred from the bench in Bilbao with a goal and assist and will be pushing for starts.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Man City
Arsenal predicted lineup vs. Man City (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Merino, Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Gyökeres, Eze.
Man City Team News
City know they will be without Omar Marmoush, Rayan Cherki and Mateo Kovačić for the trip to Arsenal, while Rayan Aït-Nouri and John Stones remain doubts in the backline as injuries continue to plague Guardiola.
Rodri is another who is not entirely certain to feature on Sunday. He played an hour during the win over Napoli midweek but asked to be withdrawn in the second half as he battled a knock sustained in training the previous day. Guardiola admitted he’s uncertain if the Spaniard will start.
Guardiola could field the exact same starting XI that convincingly dispatched of Man Utd last weekend, with Haaland, Phil Foden and Jérémy Doku all heading into the weekend’s match in impressive form.
Man City Predicted Lineup vs. Arsenal
Man City predicted lineup vs. Arsenal (4-1-4-1): Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Rodri; Silva, Foden, Reijnders, Doku; Haaland.
Arsenal vs. Man City Score Prediction
Arsenal won this fixture 5–1 last season as they blew an off-colour City out of the water, but such an emphatic scoreline is unlikely on Sunday. These battles between Arteta and his former mentor Guardiola are generally cagey affairs, with last season’s chaotic duels the exception rather than the rule.
Arteta is likely to lean on his watertight defence at the Emirates as he aims to sneak victory, although the Spaniard might be better served offering his players greater attacking freedom against a City defence that has been undone by Spurs and Brighton’s intensity this season.
City would likely accept a draw from a difficult venue as they look to steadily reassert themselves, with three of the last five meetings against the Gunners ending all square after 90 minutes.
Prediction: Arsenal 1–1 Man City
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal vs. Man City: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.