Manchester City’s showdown with Arsenal will force two of the most tactical managers around into daring team selections this weekend.
Pep Guardiola‘s recent battles with his former protege Mikel Arteta have seen them cancel each other out but this time will be different.
Arsenal and Man City’s battle for the title is set to go the distance againGetty
Both Spanish managers head into the Premier League title six-pointer with key absentees threatening to rip up their game plans.
Arteta looked to have finally unlocked the key behind beating Guardiola after 10 Premier League meetings without a win.
The Gunners boss, who also edged the 2023 Community Shield between the two, went unbeaten home and away against City last term.
Arsenal’s four points from six was double the amount the club had from their previous 15 such encounters with the champions.
However, slip-ups elsewhere saw Guardiola retain the title, with their first clash of the new campaign coming at a crucial juncture for both.
Man City
The hosts are sweating on the fitness of talisman Kevin De Bruyne, who suffered a groin injury against Inter Milan on Wednesday.
The Belgian was brought off at half-time during the goalless clash, with Guardiola remaining coy over his fitness.
The 33-year-old’s increasing injury issues have forced City to adjust to being without him in recent years but Arsenal are a different beast.
De Bruyne relishes facing the Gunners, winning 14 and losing just four of his 21 games against them – with only one of those defeats coming in the Premier League.
On an individual level, he’s also scored eight goals and provided five assists along the way – the most that he’s registered against any single opponent.
De Bruyne bagged two goals and an assist in a 4-1 win over Arsenal in April 2023Getty
It was no surprise Arteta’s first Premier League victory over City and Guardiola came while De Bruyne was injured in October 2023.
Should he miss out again here, then Guardiola may turn to his former captain Ilkay Gundogan to fill in one of his advanced midfield roles.
The retired German international played the full 90 minutes of City’s 2-1 win over Brentford and replaced De Bruyne in midweek.
He could be joined by Bernardo Silva in the middle, with the two supporting Rodri in imposing Guardiola’s possession plan.
Mateo Kovacic remains an alternate option, with Silva on the right, but the Croatian struggled in the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal last term.
Instead, with Savinho’s inexperience likely to count against him in a game of this magnitude, Phil Foden could finally be handed a start.
The PFA Player of the Year has endured a frustrating campaign so far after scoring 19 goals in the Premier League last season.
Foden missed most of pre-season after starting all seven of England’s games during their run to the Euro 2024 final.
The 24-year-old then missed three of City’s first four matches with illness, which also forced him to withdraw from international duty.
Rico Lewis has overtaken Kyle Walker at right-back for club and countryAFP
Foden will be itching to make his first start of the new seasonAFP
After he was an unused substitute against Brentford, Foden came on with a point to prove in the draw with Inter Milan.
Despite only coming at halftime, no player attempted more shots than Foden’s four, with his three chances created only bettered by Jack Grealish – who has fond memories of facing Arsenal.
The England duo will flank Erling Haaland, who has one more chance to hit a century of goals to equal Cristiano Ronaldo’s record time.
The Norwegian has blanked in his past three meetings with Arsenal amid criticism that he struggles to deliver in the biggest games.
At the back, Guardiola’s thinking will be much more straightforward, with Ederson in goal and three of his defenders all but nailed on.
Nathan Ake is out injured, with John Stones out of favour, so Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji, and Josko Gvardiol are all set to start.
Rico Lewis has been given the nod over Kyle Walker this season, with the 19-year-old preferred for his ability to step into midfield.
Gundogan was the man for the big occasion during his first stint at City
Arsenal
The visitors were accused of playing for a draw following their last trip to the Etihad in March, with fans and pundits citing their failure to beat Man City away as a key roadblock in claiming a first title in two decades.
Emmanuel Petit told talkSPORT that Arsenal must go with a mindset to win – and they may have no choice in their current situation.
The Gunners are already two points behind City after four matches and will be without their captain for Sunday’s showdown.
Arteta needed his first-choice XI at his disposal to avoid defeat at the Etihad last time, but Martin Odegaard’s injury has forced a rethink.
The 25-year-old is a permanent starting fixture on the right side of Arsenal’s midfield three in their favoured 4-3-3 formation when fit.
However, he is now set for an extended period on the sidelines after sustaining an ankle injury on international duty with Norway.
Odegaard already missed the 1-0 win away at Tottenham in the north London derby, alongside another of Arteta’s regular midfield stars.
Crucially, Declan Rice is available again after suspension after he was controversially sent off against Brighton to join Thomas Partey.
Saka and Calafiori handed Arsenal a double fitness boost by returning to trainingGetty
This could allow Arteta to maintain his 4-3-3 shape but with a focus on their rigid structure by deploying two defensively-minded No.8s, and Jorginho in holding midfield, to avoid getting caught out in transition.
Alternatively, the Arsenal boss may continue to play versatile Leandro Trossard in Odegaard’s free-roaming role – as he did against Spurs.
The backline is one of the most settled in England, with David Raya, Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba playing every minute this season.
The only other Arsenal player to have managed that so far is Kai Havertz, who will once again lead the line as the No.9.
Bukayo Saka limped out of the Tottenham win but is already back in training and will take up his spot on the right.
The two remaining dilemmas for Arteta is at left-back, with Riccardo Calafiori now an option again after suffering an injury on Italy duty.
This could be how Arsenal start against City at the Etihad on Sunday
Haaland vs Saliba could be another interesting battle this weekendGetty
But the summer signing is unlikely to replace Jurrien Timber – who impressed away at Spurs – in what would be his first Arsenal start.
With Trossard earmarked as central cover, Brazilian pair Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli will fight it out over the left-wing position.
Raheem Sterling will hope to battle his former side but Arsenal’s deadline day signing has played just 10 competitive minutes since May having missed out on Euro 2024 before being exiled by Chelsea.
Jesus was tasked with flying the flag for Arsenal’s former City contingent in March and will also be pushing for a start.
Martinelli’s defensive work off the ball may mean it’s spot to lose, as although he’s without a goal or assist this season, his deflected winner proved the difference at the start of last campaign.
Kieran Tierney, summer signing Mikel Merino, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu are all absent due to injuries.
Rice’s return from suspension has softened the blow of being without Odegaard
