Arsenal and Manchester City meet this Sunday in what promises to be one of the games of the weekend in the Premier League alongside Saturday’s Merseyside Derby.
The Gunners are in urgent need of a victory after a recent slump, while City could also do with tightening their grip on a top four place with the title now realistically out of reach.
It was an intriguing battle when these two met earlier in the season, with Pep Guardiola coming out on top on that occasion, but can Arsene Wenger end his wretched big-game record this Sunday?
Here’s a look ahead at Arsenal vs City…
It’s a big game for…
Arsene Wenger.
There’s no escaping it – the Frenchman is the name on everyone’s lips at the moment for a variety of reasons.
As usual, he looks to be guiding Arsenal to yet another disappointing season, with the added confusion surrounding his future as he stalls on signing a new contract.
Fans want him out, reports suggest he’ll stay (of course he will), and if he is to avoid an utter mutiny at the Emirates Stadium this weekend, he’ll need to pick up three points here.
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Likely line ups…
Petr Cech is out injured after going off against West Brom, so it’s more David Ospina for Arsenal’s long-suffering fans.
Elsewhere, it’s mostly good news for Gooners as they prepare to welcome back Mesut Ozil from injury, with the German expected to start this one.
It remains to be seen how Wenger will line up his attackers, but Olivier Giroud had a decent international break and his performances as a super-sub for so much of this season show he should be starting every once in a while.
You can never be too sure how City are going to line up under Guardiola, but in recent games the Spaniard seems to have settled on some variant of 4-1-4-1.
Willy Caballero continues to start the big games in goal ahead of disastrous summer signing Claudio Bravo, and the unconvincing defence more or less picks itself.
Kevin De Bruyne is a doubt further forward due to a groin injury, meaning David Silva should be flanked by Fernandinho and Yaya Toure in midfield, leaving the rest up to the in-form front three of Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane and Sergio Aguero.
If you memorise one stat, make it this…
Guardiola is currently on five league defeats for the season – he has never lost six in one campaign during his entire career in management.
Guardiola league defeats by season
Barcelona 2008/09 – 5
Barcelona 2009/10 – 1
Barcelona 2010/11 – 2
Barcelona 2011/12 – 3
Bayern Munich 2013/14 – 2
Bayern Munich 2014/15 – 5
Bayern Munich 2015/16 – 2
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Last time they met…
City edged it 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium.
In many ways, this now looks like when Arsenal’s collapse truly started. Earlier in the week, Everton handed the Gunners their first defeat in 14 Premier League games, and City piled on the misery with another just five days later.
Theo Walcott scored to give Arsenal the lead after five minutes, but they predictably fell away as City started the second half with a Leroy Sane equaliser, and then a Raheem Sterling winner.
Arsenal have won just five out of ten top flight matches since then as their title challenge has fallen away. Can they do any better this time despite repeated capitulation in the big games?
From the archives…
Well this’ll make you feel old…
The year is 2001: City weren’t good yet, Arsenal were brilliant, and the likes of Kanu and Sylvain Wiltord were running rings around the Blues at Maine Road.
Some beautiful football put Wenger’s men into a 4-0 lead before half time as Freddie Ljungberg scored twice and Kanu and Wiltord helped themselves to one each.
City have come a long way since games like this…
Metro.co.uk prediction…
Arsenal surely can’t continue to be quite as bad as they have been, and do have a decent record at home against City in recent times.
That said, Guardiola’s labours finally seem to be bearing some fruit after a recent pick-up in form, and they’re certainly not a side you’d want to come up against when you’re in need of a win.
It’s a hard one to call, so we’ll go for a 1-1 draw.
Vote…
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