The Gunners will be hosting the English Premier League’s defending champion Manchester City at Emirates Stadium tonight. If Arsenal win against Manchester City, then they will go six points clear at the top of the Premier League table, and to defeat Manchester City, they will have to do at least these three things:
Their defence needs to be block-solid. There will be a battle for possession, so any team that comes in second in that aspect may struggle. Arsenal can go toe-to-toe with City for possession, but as they do so, they will have to be defensively compact. The backline will have to be more solid in their defence line as compared to how they have always been against other teams because Kevin De Bruyne will be bringing crosses.
They may need to be quick and have a game plan for how to counterattack. Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have been able to defeat Manchester City this season only due to counter-attacking football, because when it comes to slow football, you can never outsmart Pep Guardiola’s City. The reason why scoring against them using counter-attacking football is easy is because they tend to attack more, leaving gaps at the back, the same way Salah capitalised on Joao Cancelo when he was still playing for Manchester City.
They must be clinical. Nketiah Saka and Martinelli, if he starts, will need to find their shooting boots. Against Manchester City, you need to be so good in front of goal that any chance that presents itself is turned into a goal.
Therefore, if they are to win against Pep Guardiola’s men tonight, they will have to be at their sharpest and most clinical without making any mistakes.
Daniel O
WATCH Mikel Arteta discuss the problems with referees ahead of the big Man City clash..
WATCH EVERY ONE of Mikel Arteta’s and Jonas Eidevall’s Full Press conferences by subscribing to our YouTube Channel – JustArsenalVids
If martinelli starts ?? I’d swap martinelli into striker and take Eddie off , if we have any chance we need to replace Eddie upfront and put 2 upfront because no doubt we will play defensive football going for the draw and it will go all wrong look at our last 2 games and think who needs replacing or swapped about.
Arsenal needs to apply attacking and apply more threat to Manchester city defense so he has to drop White and start Tomiyasu as a right back
I will replace white and nketia with Tomi and Trossard respectively.
I will play matineli upfront.
I think we also need to quicken up the passing, and be more direct and decisive. For example, Both Partey and Zinchenko dwelled on the ball too much at times allowing the defenders to set up and mark our wingers.
Faster in the build up, and quicker passes can help ease the malaise in attack we have seen of late. Also Xhaka is not making those runs through the middle that we saw early on this season, which is something we need now as well.
Martinelli goes up top, Trossard to the left & Saka on the right. Ode in behind with Xhaka & Zinkchenko. Teirney at left back, Gab/Sal CBs & White or Tomi at RB. Ramsdale nets!
No Partey is a huge blow. One hand kind of behind our back before we even get started with Thomas Out.