Mikel Arteta is ready to test his wits against Pep Guardiola in a mammoth clash between Arsenal and Manchester City that could determine the direction of the title.
The Emirates gears up for a mammoth clash in the context of the Premier League title race as Arsenal welcome Manchester City. While this game promises to be a potential title decider, Mikel Arteta is under pressure from Pep Guardiola to get a result, with even a draw favouring the Gunners.
It has not been a regular occurrence that Arsenal played in a game of such magnitude. Since the turn of the year, the Gunners have maintained their solid form in the league. But of late, they have dropped valuable points to Everton and Brentford.
"I will only be satisfied if they give me the two points back" 😤
Mikel Arteta says the VAR decision that cost Arsenal a crucial victory against Brentford was NOT a 'human error'❌pic.twitter.com/09rNbbPwEt
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 14, 2023
VAR errors dominated last weekend as a terrible error from referee Lee Mason in the technical room allowed Brentford’s goal to stand. The PGMOL have since apologised, but Arteta knows those dropped points could cause a tilt in the title race. Hence, getting a positive result against Manchester City becomes imperative for Arsenal and their chances in the Premier League.
After missing on the chance to close the gap yo Arsenal after their loss to Tottenham, Manchester City made amends last weekend. Their convincing 3-1 win over Aston Villa closed the gap to three points. But Guardiola’s men have played a game more than the Gunners.
While VAR dominated the last matchday, Manchester City got hit with 100 charges by the Premier League over financial breaches before they met with Aston Villa. However, as it did not directly affect their result at the weekend, those charges might continue to replay in the minds of those on the pitch and in the stands.
Coming to the title race and the game at the Emirates, unlike Arsenal, Guardiola has been in such pressure situations many times in the last few years. He will know the importance of getting the better of Arteta. And a win in north London would take them ahead of Arsenal in the standings on goal difference.
Team News & Tactics
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta does not have fresh concerns with his squad after the last matchday. A few notable stars like Gabriel Jesus and Emile Smith Rowe are stepping up their recovery. But they will remain unavailable for the Manchester City clash.
💬 “There were a lot of things we did really well today and there are things that we have to improve on and do better, but it will be a completely different game against City."
Mikel's post-match Brentford thoughts in full 👇
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 11, 2023
At least Reiss Nelson could make it to the matchday squad after being in team training for the last two weeks. Whether he has a place on the bench remains the question. Other than that, Arsenal will likely name an unchanged lineup to face Manchester City, although Arteta could yet make a few tweaks.
Those could yet come in at right-back, with Takehiro Tomiyasu pushing for a start. Meanwhile, Leandro Trossard, who was impressive at the weekend might make his full debut. The assumption should be that Gabriel Martinelli will start on the left-hand side of the attack, but various suggestions are coming in the media.
If Ben White starts, the defence and midfield will look the same from Saturday’s game. Thomas Partey will have an important role to play in the holding midfield role, with Granit Xhaka and Martin Odegaard on either side of the Ghanaian.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ramsdale; Ben White, Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola has few worries in his squad but will have a strong team to start at the Emirates. John Stones is the only confirmed absentee for the trip to north London. The big worry for the manager is the potential risk with top scorer Erling Haaland.
Putting in the work 💪 pic.twitter.com/0F2IdvRKVw
— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 13, 2023
The Norwegian striker got taken off at half-time against Aston Villa, but Guardiola insisted it was more precautionary than a major injury. The Manchester City manager also confirmed he would decide on including the striker after the final training session before the game on Tuesday.
While Haaland could start against Arsenal, Guardiola also has the option of Julian Alvarez if the Norwegian misses out. Regarding team shape, the Catalan boss started with a back three against Villa and may continue that 3-2-4-1 shape.
If he does return with a back-four, then Aymeric Laporte could go inwards, with Nathan Ake replacing him on the left-hand side. Alternatively, the Dutchman could replace Ruben Dias in the starting eleven as Manchester City continue with a back-three, with Kyle Walker completing the defence.
Probable Lineup (3-2-4-1): Ederson; Walker, Laporte, Ake; Rodri, Silva; Mahrez, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Grealish; Haaland
Key Stats
- Arsenal have scored just two goals in their last nine Premier League matches against Manchester City.
- The last time Arsenal scored first and lost in the Premier League was against Manchestser City at the Emirates in January 2022.
- Arsenal are undefeated in 14 of their last 15 matches in the Premier League.
- Manchester City have won their last 6 matches against Arsenal in all competitions.
- Manchester City have lost their last two Premier League away matches and their last three in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Thomas Partey
In this fixture on 1st January 2022, Arsenal put in a dominating performance. But owing to many difficult refereeing calls, ended up losing the clash. However, the game highlighted the top performance of Partey in central midfield, as he bossed the Manchester City players to give the Gunners total control.
We saw that once more when Arsenal played Manchester City in the FA Cup, where incidentally, Guardiola’s side got more control of the game after Partey’s substitution. The Ghanaian will be the key star for the Gunners in this potential title decider as they look to maintain an unbeaten home record this season.
Prediction
Arsenal 1-1 Manchester City
Manchester City come to the Emirates with the chance to take the edge off Arsenal in the title race. Pep Guardiola’s side have a big opportunity to stamp their authority in the chase. But the Gunners will likely stand tall in the face of such a mammoth challenge.
The hosts have a stellar home record this term and have had more overall consistency than Manchester City. Some may even suggest that Arsenal could win this battle at the Emirates. But a draw may seem more likely to result in this gigantic clash in north London.
