Arsenal v Man City Preview, Line-Up and Score Prediction – Welbeck at left-back?

So the big day has finally arrived with Unai Emery taking charge of his first official Arsenal match against the awesome Champions Man City. Arsenal have gone through the pre-season unbeaten while learning Emery’s new pressing tactics, but Man City brushed aside Chelsea in the Community Shield last week despite having many of their players still unfit after their World Cup exertions.

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But the serious stuff starts now, and Emery is feeling a little confident that his team is well-prepared and ready to go. “I am looking every day and the players are smiling in training with a big collective spirit.” he said. “They are working and finishing tired but with a smile also on their face.

“For me, that is the best message I can give the supporters. It’s for that [reason that] my message for Sunday is [one of] optimism.”

Arsenal will certainly have to improve though, as in the last two seasons we have taken only one point off Pep Guardiola’s men and were destroyed in the League Cup Final. Our only victory was in the FA Cup semi-final after extra time the year before last.

City have added to their attacking force by bringing in Mahrez, and Guardiola has revealed that both Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling are both fit to play despite missing the Community Shield win. Sane, Aguero, B. Silva and Fernandhino will contribute to a very attacking line-up and our new defense will have to be at their best. But what will Emery’s first line-up look like?

It was expected that Maitland-Niles would cover for left-back after injuries to both Kolasinac and Monreal, but Emery has hinted that may go to Danny Welbeck! He said: “Danny Welbeck is one of the players who has a multi-position possibility,” the manager said ahead of City’s visit.

“Right-winger, left-winger, striker, and also yesterday he worked with us at left-back – his performance was good! I like this spirit. To help positions across the team with positive spirit.”

So I think that Arsenal will have a revolutionary line-up with safety in mind, but also introducing many of his new arrivals and featuring all of his vice-captains. I have already given my reasons for believing Cech will still be Number One for a while and I can see Sokratis, Lichtsteiner and Torreira all being thrown in at the deep end, while he will allow Ozil, Aubameyang and Lacazette to look for the quick breakaway. No-one can be quite sure what Emery has in mind, but here is my Line-up prediction…

Cech
Lichtsteiner – Sokratis – Mustafi – Welbeck
Xhaka – Torreira – Ramsey
Ozil – Lacazette – Aubameyang

That should cause Man City some problems if they all gel very quickly. Who will be captain? I’m gonna stick my neck out and say Cech, although Ozil and Ramsey are contenders. Will we have a different captain every week? I wonder….

Anyway, onto the match score prediction. I’m going to think we will put up a big fight and I’m hoping the feelgood factor from Emery plus our longer training sessions with the new boss will give us the edge in a high-tempo contest.

3-2 to the Arsenal…..

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30 Comments

  1. Arsenal are a “work in progress” under Unai Emery and what I hope to see is a hard working disciplined and gutsy performance from Arsenal against Man City at the Emirates.
    Pep respects Unai and he won’t be taking Arsenal lightly, particularly with our firepower in Aubameyang and Lacazette. This is a potential “banana skin” for Man City and I’m sure they would have preferred different opponents to the Arsenal at the Emirates for their first game of the season.
    By the way i like the look of your selected team. COYG!

        1. “Even Pep never won the league during his first season.But Ranieri and Conte did which shows that most things are possible in football and the least expected will often surprise you.

        2. “Even Pep never won the league during his first season.”

          But Ranieri and Conte did which shows that most things are possible in football and the least expected will often surprise you.

  2. If Emery starts Welbeck as a left back, he’d probably want Welbeck to bomb forward, cut inside and shoot with Welbeck’s stronger foot

    Not a bad plan, because Welbeck’s runs would be unpredictable and he is excellent at running without the ball

    If that’s the case, the formation could have four defenders, but actually it is a three CB formation in disguise. I noticed Lichtsteiner often uses his left foot to cross as well, from the right side

    1. I’m also pessimistic, but I feel Arsenal could win if Emery chases goals from set-pieces and if Arsenal attackers can force Man City defenders to make mistake by pressurizing them hard

      The other factor that can decide the game is the Arsenal supporters at the Emirates

  3. Apart from playing Welbeck at left back, it is a good and very likely formation formation
    I reckon Ozil wont be static on that right wing as he will have the license to roam. Goodluck to the lads!

  4. As much as it’s interesting, I don’t want Welbeck at LB. AMN has proved times over times he’s capable of playing there, he’s defensive minded but sharp when attacking also, and he’s hot pace to help him balance attacking and defending. Plus after Montreal, he’s the only one who knows how to whip in decent crosses into the opposition box, Niles should play LB today. Why is Ramsey starting in your line up?
    Isn’t that what Arsene Wenger did with Chamberlain last season against Liverpool?? Plus he just got back

  5. There just isn’t any logical reason why Welbeck will play at Full Back.If Montreal is not fit then you just have to play AMN.Lets face it Welbeck will struggle this season for regular game time and is in the squad for cover only.But as a left back?I believe Emery’s words were wrongly interpreted.There is no sane reason for playing Welbeck there and Emery is an intelligent Manager.AMN will do the job we need.

  6. 3-1 city could be more depending on how many chances they take as they will create plenty of chances against a very poor looking arsenal defence can see them getting ripped apart with the pace of city forward line!!

    1. Yea same I’m saying 3-0 ,3-1 to man city
      This is a team who pretty much blow everyone away last season and they’ve added a couple of good signings and have keeped the same players from season before .only way I see us getting anything from this is if we stay tight in defence and play for a draw ,but with the defence we have can’t see it happening .
      I will be 1st to come on here and apologise if we smash them though

  7. Our chance of getting points will mostly depend on how well our defense copes ie our CB and LB
    Hopefully having a quality DM will help cover any deficiencies in defense
    I’m happy with RB (Lichtsteiner) and Goalkeeper

    Offensively we should be fine.

    Prediction 2-2
    Hope that we win though

  8. Welbeck will not be left back UNLESS, Arsenal re-engage Wenger twixt now and kick off. I would put nothing past HIM when playing people out of position. Torreira in goal maybe? Cech on left wiing? Sir Chips at CB? ALL LESS STRANGE THAN KEEPING THE RIDICULOUS WALCOTT for twelve years and even making him captain on some occasions. And even keeping WALCOTT ALL THOSE WASTED YEARS WAS LESS STRANGE THAN KEEPING WENGER for a decade too long.As for today? A close and hard fought defeat FROM WHICH WE CAN TAKE MANY POSITIVES. CITY WILL STROLL THE TITLE ONCE AGAIN AND ANYONE WHO THINKS OTHERWISE IS NOT ENGAGING THEIR BRAIN.

    1. ?????what does Wenger have to do with anything? The man is gone and you’re still talking smack about the guy.Lol. Emery is the new manager. Let’s focus on him and what he is doing.

      1. Perhaps you have not noticed but the team today was mostly players WENGER BROUGHT IN AND WE LOST. THAT is what “Wenger has to do with anything.”

  9. The way to beat them is to press their defenders into making mistakes but still keep shape in the midfield and defence so aubameyang lacazette and mkhitaryan must work really hard. I hope they watched the man city v liverpool games from last season, liverpool has shown how ro beat them. I hope otamendi and stones play because those are the most liable to make mstakes, walker does make a couple too. If they are able to pass the ball out from the back consistently without problem, then we are in trouble.

  10. I’m really hoping for a kind of 4-4-2 with Aubemayang and Lacazette awarded the chance to cement a formidable partnership, and Ozil and Mikhi operating as roaming playmakers. The width would come from the full backs with two defensively minded CMs in Torreira/Xhaka/Guendouzi providing cover when facing counter attacks.

    This formation could also see a position for Ramsey in the wide AM position, which much better suits his style of play than the more disciplined CM role. I’d love to see Mav get some game time when our opponents are a little less world class too. I feel that with some decent game time, he could become a great CB.

    It won’t happen but my line-up would be:
    ———————————-Cech————————————
    -Lich————-Mustafi————–Socratis——————-AMN
    —————–Torreira—————Guendouzi——————–
    ——-Ozil———————————————Mikhi————
    ———————-Laca———–Auba——————————-

  11. Welbeck can do a job there but shouldn’t be experimented against city, even the best of left backs in this world will struggle against them.

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