Man City got back to winning ways as they beat Aston Villa at the weekend and next up, they have a season-defining match against Arsenal.
The Gunners are sitting at the top of the Premier League table and they have played one game less than Manchester City but if City can beat Mikel Arteta’s side then at least temporarily, they will go level on points.
City have a great record against Arsenal as they are unbeaten in their previous six meetings and recently, they even knocked the Gunners out of the FA Cup, beating them 1-0. Arteta’s side have been in great form this season but Man City are still the favourites for this midweek tie.
Pep Guardiola’s side will go all out to pick up all three points because if they cannot win on Wednesday night then not only will Arsenal open up a significant gap at the top but local rivals Manchester United will also come within touching distance.
Manchester City’s team news and injuries:
John Stones is the only defensive injury in the Manchester City squad as the England international is out until March with a hamstring problem.
Guardiola has been using a three-man defensive line in recent months and the manager will stick to the same system in midweek as well. Ruben Dias will play in the middle with Nathan Ake and Walker playing as the two wide central defenders.
Since Joao Cancelo has left for Bayern Munich, it will be a massive gamble to use young Rico Lewis at left-back.
Kalvin Phillips has hardly gotten any game time since joining Man City and he will once again warm the benches as Bernardo Silva and Rodri pair up in the middle of the park.
The major cause of concern for the Spanish manager is the injury to Erling Haaland who has picked up a knock in the Aston Villa win.
The manager said after the match: ‘Erling has a kick, and we will see. We will assess him in the next few days to see how severe it is. I spoke with the doctors, and they said maybe at 3-0, we don’t need to take a risk.’
The player is running a race against time to be fit for the Man City vs Arsenal game but chances are that he is not going to be ready before Wednesday. Guardiola has the apt backup in the form of Julián Álvarez but Haaland has netted 25 league goals this season so his absence is going to stick out like a sore thumb.
Man City predicted line up vs Arsenal:
Predicted Starting XI(3-2-4-1): Ederson; Ake, Ruben Dias, Walker; Rodri, Bernardo Silva; Gundogan, De Bruyne, Grealish, Mahrez; Alvarez.
