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Confirmed Arsenal Team to face Man City – Saliba returns and Trossard on the wing

Arsenal are back in Premier League action today and the final EPL match of the weekend is set to be a real Super Sunday treat. The Gunners welcome Manchester City to the Emirates, with kick-off at 4.30PM UK.

Arsenal are widely tipped as favouries to win this showdown. When the two teams met in the same fixture last season, in February 2025, Arsenal thrashed Man City 5-1 at the Emirates. Lets hope we see more of the same  today!

Pundits agree: Arsenal will beat Man City this weekend

Arsenal v Man City – Match Review, Team News, Predicted Lineup and Score Prediction

Haaland v Gabriel
(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Manchester City have lost two of their opening five games in all competitions. while Arsenal have won four of their 5. City’s form is improving and they have won their last two games in comfortable fashion, while the Gunners are in fine form having conceded only one goal in all competitions so far this season.

The match kicks off at 4.30pm UK time and if you’re not heading to N5, this match will be shown live on Sky Sports in the UK. For non-UK supporters, you can check out which broadcaster is covering the game in your region on Arsenal.com.

Let’s see if Arteta takes the handbrake off today..

Here is the confirmed Arsenal team to face Man City today:

COYG!

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165 Comments

  1. Do not like that midfield at home at all. Very negative and I hope Saliba is properly fit and not being risked.

    1. Arteta doing everything he can to avoid playing Eze at 10. I hope we do not pay for it, with a lack of invention from the middle.

    3. Got a bad feeling about this one. Powerful forward 5 from city.

      #nervous. And expecting difficult afternoon.

  2. Gyokeres.

    Trossard. Merino. Madueke.

    Rice. Zubimendi.

    Calafiori. Gabriel. Saliba. Timber.

    Raya.

    Arteta over thinks most times but let’s trust him and hope we get a positive result.

    This is what rotation is all about.

    Also I guess Merino is Odegaard’s direct replacement now.

    Hopefully, Arteta wins us a trophy this season.

    1. Am concerned with the speed(pace) of this team Merino+ Trossard +Zubimendi, well not as individuals but as a unit(combination).

  3. Oh my Word, Arteta has just lost us dis game ffs! 🤦
    Where is the creativity in dis midfield? Arteta has killed me😡, u don’t bench Eze in a game of dis magnitude, City will never bench Doku.
    The coach is playing not to lose in the Emirates ffs. If we drop any points in dis game then it’s over for Arteta as far as am concerned.

    1. If Marmoush was fit, he would’ve played ahead of Doku in the LW position

      Eze isn’t explosive enough to play LW, but I’m surprised Trossard got selected to play ahead of Martinelli there

      Arteta has obviously chosen to play cautiously by playing Merino in the right-sided AM position

      We would likely struggle to score from open-play against Man City, but maybe we’ll steal one goal from a set-piece situation since we have the tall Merino and Calafiori

      1. Well, if you hadn’t noticed Trossard has won us the last two games, has our second most goal involvements in the last 2 years behind only Saka and is our most creative left winger. It was either or Martinelli or Trossard if Eze didn’t play. That is NOT the surprise, Merino in 10 IS.

        1. Trossard is one of our best finishers, but he lacks pace to be a starting LW. He’d likely make more impact if he comes in the second half of the game, when the opposing RB is tired

            1. Trossard is more productive as a super-sub and more prone to misplaced passing errors when he becomes a starter

              Martinelli’s pace would force Man City’s RB stay behind

              2. Martinelli is not creative at anything

                Useful majorly when others play him through on goal with plenty space to run into

                With Martinelli – even if the space is plenty and he still needs to make 1 or 2 good decisions (other than running past the last man) he’ll flop it

                I prefer him coming-in in games like this

                Madueke present just causes plenty stir with no actual output (no goal nor assist)

                Midfield won’t create with Merino

                Now having Martinelli on the left who brings just “helping the side-back & waiting till when he can run in a straight line” is a poor combination

                Now we can see we have 1 creative outlet in Trossard (Eze is still finding himself)

  4. Why Arteta is so obsessed with this 3 DMs midfield and that too at home
    Eze should have started alongside Rice and Zubimendi
    Trossard on left is still okay
    But why Merino

    1. Merino can cut inside from the right side of the pitch more easily than Eze does, due to his stronger foot

      He’ll also increase our threat in set-pieces, because of his stature

  5. i think Arsenal still can’t win any trophy because the current squad still lacks depth and creativity to blend as one unit

    1. The club and Berta should’ve asked for Arteta’s approval before signing Gyokeres and Eze

      They should’ve signed players that fit into Arteta’s system, not forcing him to change the tactics that have made us finish 2nd three times in a row

      Why sign another CAM when we have too many of that player type and when we need to replace Trossard

      2. @Gotanidea: I tend to agree. May be half of our summer spending could have been on players the manager is not going to use and may well be worse than wasted.

        Better we sell them next window than keep players the manager isn’t convinced he really needs

    2. Or lacks a brave manager? Nothing do do with the squad lacking at all. He has the squad. Has he the balls. Big call, I hope he has got it right.

    3. Nwaneri, Eze are both on the bench, and we have Odegaard and Saka when fit. We definitely have creative players. This is a choice by the manager.

  8. Come on guys it’s only city! Let’s see how the game goes then judge after. We still got subs to make, not that they gonna finish the game with same eleven! All I need is the 3 points no matter what.

    1. David,

      Just curious, would he deserve stick for this line-up if we don’t win.

      I think I know the answer, but I’ll ask anyway.

      1. Of course he will. When was the last time a team won the league with such a negative mentality?…especially at home

  11. Some hilarious negative comments as usual. Let’s not forget the fact we can now rotate in every position, stay calm, all will be well.

      1. Issue is many a times Arteta makes the substitution when it’s too late and too little time for subs to make an impact

  12. Arteta is too cautious for my liking. Why always being negative each time we are playing against big team? It is now an obsession!

        1. Well Reggie, we did go on a 22 unbeaten run against the top six. Was ended by Liverpool not long ago. And am in no way supporting playing 3 defencive midfielders. But we got the creativity to effect the game from the bench.

    2. How do rate Eze midweek starting performance. It was like he wasn’t out there.

      I think for Arteta it’s more a case of pickingvwhose been here long enough to know the system – you can’t say putting Trossard and Merino in is negative and cautious can you? 😀

  13. wonderful wonderful insight by Mikel Arteta. Eze is not Ryan Giggs hence can’t play on the flanks. He replaces later Merino. Eze is Merson esque good dribbler slow in pace with an eye on the movement of teammates and goal. Feel good factor after seeing the line up. Now play courageously without hand brakes. Trossard will torment Khusanov. Bravo Arteta!!!

    1. Jax
      God knows what Raya was doing at the back moments ago. Looked dodgy to me and could have been awkward

  15. I don’t get this lineup. But it’s very Arteta, so it’s not surprising either… Well only a win will do since we’re not even playing our best players.

    1. For me to win something you have to try to win something. We have failed for 3 years because we have tried not to lose. Surely to win a league that HAS to change for the long term. If something doesn’t work and you try to do the same thing over and over, why should it work, when you do not change it. Artetas philosophy has ALWAYS been do not lose the first half and try and win the second half. That has to change but will it and when. Lets hope we win though💪

  17. Strong team but not liking merino instead of eze or nwaneri. Good physical midfield for tough away matches but City’s ain’t that physical. Eze can be explained not in form but nwaneri played good when called upon. Let’s hope Merino proves me wrong and has a great match.

    1. You are right, we gave him that. Naff goal for City. Gabriel over committing where we already had 3 players five yards from ball battling for it. once Dolphin face had a few yards on Gabi there was no way back. Not a good goal, every side in Prem scores against you when you gift them that sort of space and overload in behind.

  22. Big mistake by Saliba not covering Haaland run. How did he not see that huge viking running through on goal. Both he and Timber should have covered haaland and let doku free, he was the lesser threat.

  23. Who was the arrogant fan who said Halland wouldn’t get a shot ?
    We got to stop making out our players are better then they are

  25. Lol 3 defensively minded midfielders while playing negatively and still get caught on the break….joke tactics

    Too many slow players in our team

  26. Being an Arsenal fan with these tactics and even though there game changers available at disposal is really frustrating

  28. All the possession and not even close to creating a chance. Arteta just doesn’t know how to use the excellent squad he has available to him. Every lineup he puts out is a head scratcher

    1. Exactly right. How can you play with expression and freedom to attack when you have a collar on your starting eleven? No balls. How many shots have we had on target after 20 mins? Why spend all the money on fantastic players when the tactics don’t change? Sure it looks batter but we won’t win anything worthy playing this stale of crap football!

  30. Merino had a big brain fart there
    Arteta needs to understand that Merino cannot play in these kind of high intensity game
    He is only good against mid table teams
    And cup games not even CL

    2. We are certainly overrating ourselves, I agree. League hopes ……. not with the approach to date this season.

      We love our club, but the signs aren’t good at all!! Still trying to imagine how PSG ran riot through our system late last season, and I can’t believe we have tactically upgraded ourselves from those scenes

  32. The more i watch Gyokeres the more its looking like he’s too slow, has average hold up play and is pretty poor at passing

    Hope he can still improve but i had high hopes for him in spite of the known tactical issues we have

    1. Arteta never wanted Gyökeres
      His Target was Sesko
      It was Berta who signed Gyökeres because of financial constraints which Arteta had got agreed on that

    2. Sometimes it takes players to adapt to a new League and a new Club. It’s too early to judge him

      1. Thats why i said i hope he’ll still improve but he’s not going to get faster and decent basic passing isn’t something that has to do with a new team, it should be a given.

        Simply saying that I was expecting a bit more that is all

      2. After spending so much this summer, we either have brilliant performances every week or we try to spin it all the time…… 70% possession entire first half and zero shot on target in regulation time of the first half.

  33. Arteta scared to take off the handbrake, seen this too many times. Is he obsessed with control? Doesn’t like individual freedom and creativity?

    Henry is correct, you have to go get titles and trophies, you can’t play safe like a coward.

    All the money spent, and scared to play open and direct in spite of talent throughout the squad.

  38. Gyökeres is making so many attempted runs in behind but nobody wants to pick him behind
    He can’t do anything if don’t put him behind

  39. A lively start but Lordy we have gone backwards. Terrible boring possession football. Efforts are being made but just fizzle out

  40. There’s a feeling that nobody truly believes in this team I have to say. Mikel always goes defensive and cautious, and even the crowd feels on edge after a 9th minute goal. The football we play is just not convincing so can hardly blame them. It’s been ages since I’ve watched an Arsenal game and just felt the players were just allowed to express themselves and play the game. Something is missing from this Arsenal team I have to say. Beyond the wonky lineups, tactics, and our squad strength.

  42. The fans are already getting frustrated with this offering. It’s just more of the same except with more expensive counterparts. Even when we do get the ballnin the box, we still have no one on the end of it!

  43. Donnarumma has been time wasting since min 10 but that useless referee won’t do anything. Remember that gk 8 sec rule,doesn’t apply for arsenal opponent.

    2. He should have been RSH. The foul on Gabriel was totally cynical. As for rolling around play acting in the spat with Trossard – you would think he had been shot.

  47. I still fail to see what Zubimendi is bringing to this team. Boy we miss Partey, Zubimendi is no replacement. Got to do more than he is.

    2. Yes, we miss Partey. I believe Arteta see Zubi’s weakness, reason he is scared of leaving him in there without enough support

  48. If Arteta can’t win today’s game, I believe he won’t win EPL this season

    If I were him, I would replace Trossard with Martinelli. Trossard’s lack of pace made him waste one good chance to score

    Madueke played well though. I hope he will score or assist today

    3. GAI Martinelli is rubbish

      Will one run all throughout a game

      A side-midfielder/winger must be able to create or at least keep the game flowing

      All attacks break down with Martinelli on that side – he only becomes useful when there is a straight space to run into

      That’s like less than 7 times in a whole season – he’s not a starter
      Let him come and run when their defenders are tired in the second half

  49. He has to make changes as half time. We are so slow. Arteta has to be brave and use his players to their strength.

  50. Based in the head to heads, Neither Pool or City are better than Arsenal. A lot of the last couple of decades we couldn’t live with the title chasing sides – now we are one of them.

  51. Man C surprising me in 2 ways. They don’t look special in anyway. And they are holding shape marking space with zero press.

  53. We have the best squad in ages but play rubbish football.What happened to the exciting free flowing football of a couple of years ago?2-0man city

    1. Me too going for 2-0 and and probably too much catch up against Liverpool
      But I would be happy to see Liverpool winning than this Oil kings

  56. Whatever the result
    This is how you want to see us playing
    Least having ago now
    Can you let a first half at this level pass you by though ?

      1. The lesson to learn is we don’t have a player as good as Haaland, do we? So how come we should just blow them away?

        1. Problem is not players
          We don’t have a manager like Arne Slot
          Luis Enrique
          Zidane who can bring that mentality to win everything

          1. You are so funny with you naff attempts to influence this thread, 😀 exposed by your inability to answer direct questions.

            So – in your opinion Arsenal must win the top trophies because we have monopoly on all best players around? 🙂

            The only way to win things is battle away and put in strong performances like that one today.

  59. If we keep pushing like that we’ll definitely score but i am worried about timber, 1 miss tackle on Doku could see him off and kill the game. Especially when we lose the ball.

  61. I would like to see Media narrative here
    Last year when Arsenal were 10 men at Etihad and we were defending everything that whole social media and sports media labelled us as negative football
    I don’t see anything else City is doing today for whole game

    1. This is a copy paste of the etihad game except we were down 1 man. They even replaced haaland with a dm.

      1. While Liverpool seem to find a way to win, we seem to gift away points. Don’t blame the players. A 10 man Arsenal did a decent job. Our manager is over cautious and tends to live by the set piece and the brilliance of one or two players to get him out of trouble.

  62. Whatever happens in the last 15 minutes, this has been really poor boardering on embarrassing. I don’t blame the players I can only blame Arteta for the way we were set up. Would never go to a game until this negative crap is gone

  63. We look devoid of any ideas how to score against this City team. Our best chance is for a set piece but our crossinging has been poor.

      1. Well one thing is for sure SueP, questions need to be asked about this performance. According to this home game, nothing has changed..

          1. So out of all I wrote, its the part I wrote ” i hope we loose ” you see as the highlight of my write.
            Among what I want most dearly in my life is to see arsenal be epl king again and win the CL.
            I’ve suffered for too long as a fan and finally the club has really invested and we have a team that can be champions but I see arteta as the anchor holding us back

            So tell me sue and GB who called me weird, would u rather keep arteta and deny us glory days or get some bad result now so he gets sacked then we can champions again.

            Well anyway, this is arteta’s last season, he will be sent packing if he doesn’t epl or CL.

            1. Tea,
              I never want Arsenal to lose.
              To want them to lose because you want Arteta out is a weak argument. I am pretty sure that the owners will have something to say if the supporters do what they did to Wenger. Not many were too kind to Emery either – me included

  65. I hope we loose, I hope arteta keep being stubborn, I hope he get sacked for always snubbing our creative players.
    eze had 1 not so good game and he benched him but martinelli had 2 bad seasons yet he still play him until recently.
    Nwaneri and dowman ain’t getting games.
    Arteta must be mad or something

    1. You should never want your team to lose. I get that you are over emotional right now, but that is a ridiculous thing to write

  66. After all this media narrative will how City were resilient at the back
    They were good rock solid
    We played exactly same way last year at Etihad and we were labelled as master of dark arts

  72. Once again showing that the BS obsession with slow build up play needs to go!

    Yet another direct ball working!

    Well done Martinelli….always been good through the middle

    1. I really wish MA would have used something much closer to my suggested line-up previously posted on JA (including Martinelli on the LW and Eze at the left 8):

      Martinelli Gyokeres Madueke
      Eze Rice Odegaard (if avail.-otherwise Nwaneri)
      MLS Gabriele Saliba Timber
      Raya

  74. Only a win was acceptable with that ridiculous lineup and Arteta’s usual antics with the tactics. At least he had the awareness to make changes at HT, but not enough yet again. City with only big chance for this game and they score. Us, a lot of huffing and puffing but can’t break down a side that barely ever approaches a game defensively. This is Arteta’s make or break season still and it’s looking shaky. It’s forced our hand for sure. If we dont win against Newcastle next weekend I really don’t see how we can win the title. As long as Mikel insists on this side always having the hand break on it’ll never reach the heights they are capable of.

  75. Some of our players not good today in choosing risk free passing. Rice in particular.

    1.1 probably fair, as getting a lead and defending it is part and parcel of football.

    The onus on Arsenal is to turn this squad into more goals from open play.

  76. Everything about our play is so rigid. No quick throw ins or quick corners even when we’re chasing the game. Team seems to be completely over-coached. Really hard to watch even when we’re winning. One or two good chances created over almost 100 minutes. It’s just not good enough as and it’s hard to see things changing unfortunately. I just don’t see us winning anything with Arteta.

  77. In the middle of the game I thought Saliba had not recovered from his injury and Mosquera was playing today. Saliba today was a disaster. Against big teams he always either gets injured or struggles. He was culpable for Haaland goal. He let Haaland free. The defence and aerial balls let Arteta down today. He relies too much on these two.

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