Arsenal have the bad luck to have to face the Champions-elect Man City just four days after being embarrassed in the League Cup final by Pep Guardiola’s side, but Arsene Wenger is very hopeful that his team can pick themselves up to try and get revenge at the Emirates, where the Gunners have only lost one League game all season.
The Boss said: “First of all, no matter how much you try to lift the players, they need time for grieving. You need to digest that and only time helps. The next target helps again. The DNA and the values of the club help because that’s where you want to stick together. What you want at our level is to be confronted with difficult situations and respond to it in a positive way.”
Personally I think it will be very difficult to come back so quickly against the same team, as City are in a supremely confident mood. In fact if the Gunners lose to night it will already be mathematically impossible for Arsenal to win the League even though there are still ten games remaining.
The concensus is even saying that City didn’t play to their usual high quality in the Cup Final, and we can probably expect them to be even more dangerous tonight. One good bit of news for the Gunners is that Fernandinho is not likely to play after suffering a hamstring injury, but Guardiola has more than enough quality squad players to replace like for like.
Arsenal themselves lost Monreal in the Final, and our defence looks very suspect at the moment, I think Wenger will give most of his players a chance to redeem a bit of pride and expect to see much the same team at the Emirates this evening.
So my prediction is…
Cech
Bellerin Chambers Mustafi Koscielny Kolasinac
Xhaka Wilshere Ramsey
Iwobi Ozil
Aubameyang
And to be honest I don’t think I can feel any confidence whatever, but I am just hoping that Arsenal show a bit more fight at home and can get a 2-2 draw-
What do you think?
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