My Predicted lineup of Arsenal against Man City
The Gunners will take on current league Champions and leaders Manchester City on New Year’s Day.
The match comes at a right time for Arsenal, who have found wind in their sails. The London side have won five of their last six matches.
And they have done so with style, scoring a whopping 19 goals and conceding just twice.
However, when you play Pep Guardiola’s Man City, current form immediately goes out of the window. The game can end up getting decided on who was on the starting 11, and who is brought in thereafter.
It’s worth noting that Arsenal will be without Mikel Arteta in the dugout because he is in isolation. Instead, assistant Albert Stuivenberg will take all the big calls on behalf of the Spaniard.
Here’s how I think the lineup will be:
In goal, Aaron Ramsdale. He’s the undisputed number one at the Emirates Stadium. Many people have him as the ‘signing of the summer.’
The back four is where we can see a few changes. Takehiro Tomiyasu missed the match against Norwich City with Covid. Thereafter, he wasn’t spotted in training either. Thus, he’s likely to miss the upcoming match too.
The back four, in my opinion will remain the same as last weekend. Ben White, Rob Holding, Gabriel and Kieran Tierney.
Although not a big Holding fan, the Englishman can consistently give a 7/10 performance every weekend. So, it shouldn’t be a big problem.
We might just see a surprise change at left-back though. After playing the whole 90 minutes at Carrow Road, Tierney can be replaced by Nuno Tavares, who has impressed many since his move from Benfica in the summer.
But that is unlikely due to the Scotsman’s impressive performance against Dean Smith’s men.
In the midfield, there is no point of changing either of Thomas Partey or Granit Xhaka. Since his comeback from injury, the Swiss international has slotted straight into the heart of the team.
Whereas Partey’s delayed departure to Ghana’s training camp means Arsenal will clearly benefit.
The three in front of them should also remain the same. The trio of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli is a joy to watch.
Alexander Lacazette should lead the line. The Frenchman is a better suited player in this current Arsenal team. He’s someone who would do the dirty stuff so that others can flourish.
We can also bring in Emile Smith Rowe if things don’t go to plan. The midfielder has scored in each of the past four games, when he’s been brought in as a substitute.
The 21-year-old is also Arsenal’s top scorer this season, with nine goals in his kitty.
On the other hand, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s inclusion is one up for discussion. The Gabon international will be flying out of England after the Man City game for AFCON. Thus, it makes little sense to put him straight into the starting 11.
Ramsdale
White Holding Gabriel Tierney
Partey Xhaka
Saka Odegaard Martinelli
Lacazette
…
What’s your starting 11 for the upcoming Man City match?
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