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[Image] Partey & Tierney start, Xhaka out – My Arsenal line-up vs Man City

By mac14 on October 16, 2020

Arsenal take on Manchester City at the Etihad on Saturday evening. Here’s the line-up I’d like Mikel Arteta to select…

Bernd Leno will obviously start in goal and it looks like Arsenal have been handed a major boost with Kieran Tierney reportedly available for selection after being given permission to cut-short his 14-day isolation.

The Scottish international should start on the left side of the back three with David Luiz in the middle and Gabriel starting ahead of Rob Holding on the right. Shkdoran Mustafi is back in training but a place on the bench is the best he can hope for.

Hector Bellerin should continue on the right flank while Ainsley Maitland-Niles will probably start on the left. However, I’d prefer to see Bukayo Saka starting as I think he offers us a lot more than AMN.

The big question is whether we’ll see Thomas Partey making his Arsenal debut against City this weekend. The midfielder has been training with his new team mates for the past two days [see photos here] and Arteta says he’s fully fit so I’d throw him straight into the team. Partey is going to be a huge player for Arsenal and will be a big upgrade on our current midfielders so let’s not waste any time.

There is very little chance Arteta will drop Granit Xhaka but I’d personally like to see it happen. I know what Xhaka brings to the team but I also don’t forget that his lack of athleticism is a real issue. So I’d like to see Partey alongside Dani Ceballos tomorrow.

Obviously Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will start in the Arsenal attack and I’d keep him on the left with Alexandre Lacazette coming in to lead the line up front. That would mean Eddie Nketiah dropping to the bench.

Nicolas Pepe made a great impact against Sheffield United last time out but I’d keep him on the bench tomorrow with Willian given the nod on the right side of the Arsenal front three.

Here is how I hope Arsenal line-up: