Arsenal stumbled against Brentford on Saturday and next up, they have a crucial tie against Manchester City in midweek.
After the draw against the Bees, the Gunners are just three points ahead of Man City though they have played one game less than Guardiola’s men. If they cannot win in midweek then City will go level on points with the league leaders and then all the pressure will be on Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta’s side were really unlucky not to have picked up all three points vs Brentford and the manager will be hoping that this result has not dented his players’ confidence.
Arsenal have been the best team in the Premier League this season but the fact that they have such a small squad is slowly taking a toll on the regular starters. This one’s a must-win game for the North London side because anything other than a win and teams like Man City and Man United will be breathing down their necks.
Arsenal’s team news and possible rotations:
Due to such a small squad, Mikel Arteta cannot afford to make any major changes to his starting line up.
Ideally, players like Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney should come into the side purely based on the rotation policy but since it’s Manchester City, the manager cannot afford to make these changes.
Jorginho was an unused sub against Brentford and we doubt if he is going to get a start in midweek. Arteta has relied on the pairing of Xhaka and Thomas Partey throughout this season and there’s no way the manager is going to break this partnership.
Also, the Chelsea midfielder is yet to impress and win over the Gunners boss so he will only be used as a sub – if needed.
Gabriel Jesus is ruled out until next season which means Eddie Nketiah will once again lead the line. The 23-year-old will have to pull up his socks cause he was really underwhelming at the weekend.
Leandro Trossard came off the bench to score against Brentford and we think the Arsenal boss is going to hand him a start, pushing Gabriel Martinelli to the bench.
Arsenal predicted line up vs Man City:
Arsenal predicted line up vs Man City:
Predicted Starting XI(4-2-3-1): Ramsdale; Zinchenko, Ben White, Gabriel, Saliba; Thomas Partey, Xhaka; Odegaard, Trossard/Martinelli, Bukayo Saka; Eddie Nketiah.
