Arsenal face the unenviable task of returning to Premier League play with a trip to the Etihad to take on the always dangerous Manchester City. A potentially devastating Covid situation regarding Kieran Tierney seems to have been avoided, which should be a massive boost to Arsenal’s ever-improving back line. Below is how I see Mikel Arteta setting up his team tomorrow:
Keeper
Bernd Leno is now the absolute undisputed number one with Emiliano Martinez’s sale to Aston Villa, and he has started the season in excellent form. Arsenal will need a big game from their German shot-stopper if they are to walk away with points.
Defense
I expect Arteta to continue his theme of using a back three in matches against big six opposition. Sitting back and hitting City on the counter is what won the match in the FA Cup semis back in July, so expect more of the same here.
Gabriel has quickly made himself one of the first names on the team sheet with his seamless adaptation to Premier League football, so he should anchor one of the three spots. The news that Kieran Tierney should be eligible to play after his Covid scare on international duty helps immensely as he will slot in as the left sided anchor of the back three. The final spot would then come down to either Rob Holding, who is in great form, or David Luiz, who Arteta seems to trust more in these big games. I will give Luiz the nod for that reason but don’t be shocked to see Holding out there.
Midfield
Unfortunately, I think this match comes a bit too soon for Arsenal’s immense new signing Thomas Partey. While he will undoubtedly completely change the midfield, and possibly the formation, throwing him head-first into his first Premier League action against City would be too much of a risk.
The wide wing-back on the right will be the in-form Hector Bellerin as usual. Wide on the left, I expect to see Ainsley Maitland-Niles continue to get the start in big matches such as this. He did such a wonderful job limiting the attack of City back in July, and fans will hope to see a repeat performance tomorrow.
Without Partey starting, expect to see the usual central pivot of Granit Xhaka and Dani Ceballos start. Ceballos has picked up right where he left off last season and has made himself instrumental to the side with his vision and range of passing. Xhaka, for all of the flack he has received over the years, continues to play well and add some steel to the midfield. However, his days as an automatic starter might be coming to a close once Partey is fully integrated.
Attack
Two of the three starters up front are a given, but right wing will continue to be a selection headache for Arteta. Both Willian and Nicolas Pepe have a strong claim to start, and it is a real luxury that Arsenal suddenly find themselves so well stocked with top quality wide players.
Alexandre Lacazette is in excellent goal-scoring form to start the new season, and will no doubt lead the line tomorrow. As long as Lacazette keeps scoring, captain and first name on the team sheet Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will continue to start out wide on the left. While the front three may be more balanced when Aubameyang starts centrally with Willian and Pepe wide, you simply cannot drop Lacazette on his current form.
For the final spot at right wing, I personally would like to see Nicolas Pepe selected. His terrific solo run and finish against Sheffield was vital for his confidence, and Arsenal need a player who can run at City’s incredibly vulnerable back line. This is a perfect match to unleash his on-ball abilities, especially since Arsenal will most likely see very little of the ball.
Prediction
Going to Manchester and getting a result isn’t easy for anyone, but it has been exceptionally difficult for Arsenal, who have not won there in the league since that special 2-0 victory in 2015. If there was ever a time to buck that trend, it would be now. Arsenal have started the season in good form on both ends of the pitch, while City have been nothing short of disastrous defensively. However, the Citizens still offer so much in attack, and I expect the points to be shared in a truly thrilling end to end match.
Man City 2 – Arsenal 2
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