Bukayo Saka could start for Arsenal against Manchester City, but Mikel Arteta must make the Thomas Partey decision and his starting striker.
The Arsenal vs Manchester City clash promises fireworks. But there are tactical tweaks that Mikel Arteta might look to make. The Gunners have a good enough squad from a few weeks ago, meaning the manager may have the luxury of picking his strongest lineup possible.
Arteta’s pre-match press conference had a familiar theme to it, with some questions circling around the fitness of Bukayo Saka and whether he has a chance of making it to the Manchester City clash. The manager also spoke about Thomas Partey, who could potentially start on Sunday.
The reports on Saka since he hobbled off on Tuesday’s game against Lens had the Arsenal fanbase worried. After the game, Arteta said, ‘It did not look good’, which should have potentially seen the player miss the Manchester City game altogether.
But Gareth Southgate has named Saka in the England squad, and then Arteta saying he was in ‘contention’ for Sunday brought some relief to the Arsenal fans. It won’t come as a surprise if Saka actually starts at the Emirates against Manchester City.
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Arteta said, “Well, he is in contention, we’ll see how he progresses from here to Sunday. Obviously he had to leave the pitch [against RC Lens], that’s never good news, but let’s see how he recovers.”
Arteta was also asked about Thomas Partey’s fitness ahead of the game. The midfielder had missed more than a month of football but returned to training on Monday. Unfortunately, he played no part against Lens despite being on the bench, and there is a chance he will start on Sunday.
On Partey, Arteta said, “Well, he’s ahead of schedule that’s for sure. We wanted to have him in the squad if we needed to, the way the game panned out we had other necessities and we didn’t use him. He will be in the squad tomorrow.”
Arteta must make some necessary tweaks, although the backline will not see any changes from last weekend. David Raya will continue in goal. Ben White could replace Takehiro Tomiyasu from midweek, with Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back. William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes will retain their central defensive partnership.
Partey might return and take his customary role at the base of midfield, which will push Declan Rice onto the left-hand side. Martin Odegaard will see no changes in his role, and he will find Saka on the right wing. Gabriel Martinelli is also expected to make the squad, but if he does not start, then Gabriel Jesus will play on the left wing.
Alternatively, Leandro Trossard could start on the left flank, with Jesus playing through the middle. The presence of Eddie Nketiah continues to give Arteta a selection headache, with Kai Havertz also a potential option to start upfront. Nketiah will get the nod, with Jesus on the left.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Raya; Ben White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Nketiah, Jesus
