Man City vs Arsenal preview, team news, how to watch, line-ups and prediction

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Arsenal get back to Premier League action with a daunting trip to the Etihad Stadium to take on champions Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.

We kicked off our Champions League campaign with a disappointing 0-0 draw away to Atalanta on Thursday night. It was a poor game with very few clear-cut chances. The hosts best chance came from the penalty spot after Thomas Partey was penalised for a clumsy challenge in the area. However, David Raya produced a stunning double save to keep the scores level.

Arsenal’s best opportunity came from a Bukayo Saka free-kick that was well saved but otherwise we struggled to create any notable chances and it was obvious that we missed Martin Odegaard’s presence in the final third. A point away from home against a decent Atalanta side isn’t the end of the world, but we’ll have to play a lot better to get anything on Sunday.

Manchester City were also held to a 0-0 draw at home in their opening Champions League game. Inter Milan frustrated City for long periods and left the Etihad Stadium with a deserved point, so Arsenal will no doubt be looking to emulate the Italian’s success this weekend.

This will be Arsenal’s third consecutive away game and wrap-up what’s been a tough week having also travelled to Tottenham last Sunday. The Gunners dug deep to come away with a vital 1-0 win over our North London rivals thanks to Gabriel Magalhaes’ thumping header midway through the second half. We stood firm to keep Spurs at bay and deserved our win, so let’s hope the boys can reproduce that kind of performance this weekend.

Arsenal head into the game sitting second in the Premier League table – two points adrift of leaders Man City – having taken 10 points from our opening four games. Despite it being so early in the season, it’s not unreasonable to label this game as a ‘title decider’ and the last thing Mikel Arteta will want is to fall five points adrift of City so early in the campaign. We all know how strong Pep Guardiola’s men are when they are in front, so Arsenal need to stay in touch with a positive result at the Etihad.

Man City weren’t at their best last weekend as they came from behind to beat Brentford 2-1 at home thanks to a double from Erling Haaland. While City took all three points, Brentford created a number of good chances and could have taken something home on another day, so that should give Arsenal confidence heading into Sunday’s showdown.

How to watch

Unsurprisingly, the game has been picked for live broadcast by the TV channels, so the match will be shown live on Sky Sports at 4.30pm on Sunday afternoon. Subscribers can follow all the action on their TV, or via the Sky Go app.

Alternatively, match-going supporters can buy Manchester City vs Arsenal tickets through the official club channels or via a reputable reseller like Seatsnet.com.

Team news

Arsenal will be without skipper Martin Odegaard for the foreseeable future after he was ruled out with a ‘significant’ ankle ligament injury. The attacking midfielder suffered the injury while playing for Norway during the international break and he’s now expected to be out for between 8-12 weeks, which is a huge blow for Arsenal.

Riccardo Calafiori made a successful return from a knock in midweek so he’s pushing to start this weekend. Bukayo Saka recovered from cramp to start at Atalanta and no doubt he’ll keep his place on Sunday.

However, Mikel Merino remains on the sidelines recovering from a fractured shoulder while Takehiro Tomiyasu is ruled out with an on-going knee issue. Oleksandr Zinchenko is on the treatment table with a calf problem while Kieran Tierney is out with a thigh injury.

As for Man City, they need to assess the fitness of Kevin de Bruyne after he was forced off against Inter with a groin complaint. It’s not thought to be serious but Guardiola won’t want to take any risks with his star man.

Nathan Ake is set to miss out with a thigh injury that he picked up while away on international duty while Oscar Bobb also remains on the sidelines.

Likely line-ups

Arsenal could make some changes and freshen things up following the draw with Atalanta. David Raya will keep his place after another heroic performance on Thursday while Ben White, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes will all keep their places in defence. Jurrien Timber has been impressing at left-back in recent weeks and he should get the nod once again with Calafiori on the bench.

Thomas Partey has struggled to showcase his best form consistently this season and he gave away what could have been a crucial penalty on Thursday. However, with Merino and Odegaard out, Arteta may opt to stick by the Ghanaian international.

Jorginho could be drafted in to offer more protection in midfield while Declan Rice will start after making his return from suspension in midweek. Kai Havertz played in a deeper role against Atalanta but he could move back up front against City.

Gabriel Jesus failed to take his chance to shine in the Champions League as he struggled to influence the game so the Brazilian may find himself back on the bench this weekend. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli could keep their places out with with Raheem Sterling and Leandro Trossard options from the bench.

For City, Phil Foden is expected to come in for de Bruyne while Haaland will be the dangerman through the middle. Savinho could play alongside Rodri and Matteo Kovacic in midfield.

Likely Arsenal XI: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Jorginho, Partey, Rice, Saka, Havertz, Martinelli

Likely Man City XI: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Akanji, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Rodri; Savinho, Silva, Foden; Haaland

Prediction

This is a huge game for Arsenal and we need to prove we are genuine title contenders once again. We took four points off City last season and it would be a great result if we could bring home at least a point on Sunday.

It won’t be easy away to the champions but they’ve looked vulnerable at times this season while Arsenal’s defence has been solid again, so I’m backing the boys to get something. Man City 1-1 Arsenal

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