Turn the tide by Vuyo Mataka
Can Arsenal rise to the occasion?
A storm is brewing in Manchester as the anticipation grows. As the premier league returns from a brief hiatus, there is one fixture that has everyone’s attention. As the season is nearing the end, pressure mounts on all the teams. The margin for error shrinks and every fixture becoming more significant as the season goes on. It has been a long season with many ups and downs, but at this moment Arsenal is at the top of the summit. A point separating Arsenal from City, there is not much separating the top 3. This upcoming fixture could be an opportunity to have a statement win and create separation at the top.
Both teams are coming in with good form. Arsenal are flying in the league and City doing well in the league, the clash on Sunday will be a spectacle for all to enjoy. Injuries are the main concern for both teams. With the likes of Walker, Stones and De Bruyne being injury doubts, the will look like a weakened team. The same could be said for Arsenal, with Martinelli, Gabriel and Saka being out for Arsenal. However, with the return of Partey and Timber, it could be the boost we need for the game.
It will be a pivotal game for both teams. For Arsenal it’s more of a psychological victory, knowing they can beat City away from home will fill the team full of confidence for their march to the title. It’s an achievement for Arteta as well, having the double over his Pep, he will no longer be seen as the apprentice.
It is a major fixture but the season is long. Even with the win it does not guarantee, upsets can happen especially with so much is on the line. Every game matters, hopefully, the drought for the league can end this season.
Vuyo Mataka
ADMIN COMMENT
So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….
You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.
I’m confident because we’d likely go there with Saliba and Havertz is in-form at the CF position
The table have been turning for sometime now, gone are the days when this fixture was only a matter of the size of a defeat to Arsenal.
Though this game will not decide the color ribbon on the Big jug, it surely is a massive one.
Gone are the days ?
The last we went to the Ethiad we lost 4-1
They havnt lost at the Ethiad this season and are unbeaten since December
So where is the tables turning ?
So you and i will agree, its the first in many moons Arsenal has played themselves in glorious opportunity of doing the double over the champions, having beaten them earlier in the campaign.
That got to be enough turning at the axis of the table for that to happen, surely
The law of average dictates, the time could be right for ruthless Arsenal on the road, to win at the Etihad.
Just can’t bet against them, especially if a certain player who lives for the Big games shows up.
Am calling it 2 – 1 to Arsenal.
Fans like deceiving themselves
Ruthless on the road with whom ?
Our away form shows we haven’t beaten any team above average: PSV, FCPorto, Chelsea, Newcastle, Lens, Liverpool, Aston Villa, even Fulham
We’ve been winning the likes of Bournemouth, Nottingham, Luton, Burnley, Sheffield, Brentford
Our away form shows clearly that we don’t win any team from 7th and above in any league – Not to talk of the best team in the league
We almost lost to poor Chelsea in Stamford, have you forgotten
Stop deceiving yourself
What tide has turned, they still beat us 3X last year
We struggled to sneak a 1-0 in our home & suddenly the tide has turned we can now go beat them in their home ?
I won’t be surprised with a 3-1, 3-0 thrashing
Cos they’ll want to avenge that first leg loss
My experience tells me Pep Guarrdiola isn’t as confident as you 🙂
City are proven winners and we are snapping at their heels. With the news that both Stones and Walker are unavailable that is a definite plus point.
There is enormous depth to the Man City squad, and they are still going to be missed. I can only hope we are up to the task. I’m not expecting us to win but I feel we can come out honours even
It’s not really a plus
Guardiola can play :
Ake Diaz Akanji
(with Gvardiol on the bench)
Stones has not been a steady starter this season for them
His absence is not weakening them
In short only DeBruyne, Rodri & Haaland’s absence can weaken that team
They have able substitute for everybody else, they don’t even miss Ederson when he’s injured
Why isn’t it a plus? I agree that they have a player for every position x 2 but by being unavailable, it means that they cannot come off the bench, which is a plus to me.
I obviously read your reply, Babasola, to Gunsmoke, but you have rather overlooked the fact that our results against the better teams have been better than you have alluded to. I know we didn’t win – drawing instead, at Liverpool, but we beat both City and Liverpool at home, which suggests to me that we are not as bad as you are making out.
Arsenal will beat Man City in the Epl at the Etihad on Sunday undoubtedly, irrespective of if a storm does brew in Manchester or not. When the match is being played but the Gunners will weather the storm if it brew to win the match. And win it even if a storm brew in Manchester in anticipation of Arsenal winning the match. And as a result remain atop of the league.
The Gunners will step up considerably in the game to nullify whatever be the game playing plan the Citizens have on offer against them in the match. And will nullify their game playing plan and render it obsolete in the match. And beat them squarely. In the order of: MNC 0-4 ARS. at full-time of the match.
Haaland.
Grealish. Debruyne. Foden.
Bernardo. Rodri.
Ake. Akanji. Dias. Lewis.
Ederson.
Haaland.
Doku. Alvarez. Foden.
Bernardo. Rodri.
Ake. Akanji. Dias. Lewis.
Ederson.
He plays 3 at the back against big teams
And Especially at home
Havertz.
Martinelli. Odegaard. Saka.
Rice. Jorginho.
Kiwior. Gabriel. Saliba. White.
Raya.
Havertz.
Trossard. Odegaard. Jesus.
Rice. Jorginho.
Kiwior. Saliba. White. Tomiyasu.
Raya.
Yes we are on an 8 game winning streak with big scores but if you look at the last 10 games City actually have more pts than us. We have caught up to the big boys now and challenging them but beating both of them will require an enormous effort. We’ve closed a 20 pts gap in the last 2 years which is actually crazy when you think where we came from.
@ Ackshay – hear hear. Pep himself did admit to that game being a final. That tells me only one thing – he rates us big time.
Pep said that last year .. best us 4-1
So you don’t think pep rates us and sees this match as a decisive one for the title. Last year it had massive impact on who would win the title. But Fair enough it’s your opinion.
I dont know HOW or WHY this writer is so certain we are without Saka, Martinelli and Gabriel.
Even MA does not know one way or the other , as he told us in his Friday press conference!
This article was written long before artetas press conference with his update. And the writer clearly says they are a DOUBT which is still true right now.
The long break has sapped my confidence in whether or not we can take three points at the City ground. We need to be perfect and have to also hope that their better players have poor games. Martinellii and Saka need to be fully fit as starters, If Trossard starts he will disappear.Odegaard needs to show up in a big game and Harvetz needs to prove that he is above being a useful utility forward. Also White and Kiwior need to be on the front foot. Any back peddling from them and all will be lost. And can Raya keep his nerve? Well, two more sleeps and we’ll find out.
We always play poorly after the international break. I’m not in the least bit confident.
Gworm
I know it wasn’t an international break, but we did pretty well after the winter warmer in Dubai. Stay positive!
Realistically, beating Man City at the Etihad is a big ask, I’m going for a draw.
Arsenal will dominate and win the game. City might come out with no shot on target.
I think in the presence of saka, matinelli,saliba, gabriel, rice, jesus in the the squad, arsenal likely to challenge man city tightly!