Arsenal travel to the Etihad this evening, looking for a first away win at Man City since 2015.
Here are the official line-ups.
Man City: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Akanji, Stones, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Bernardo, Grealish, Haaland
Subs: Ortega Moreno, Phillips, Laporte, Alvarez, Gomez, Mahrez, Foden, Palmer, Lewis
Arsenal: Ramsdale, White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Partey, Xhaka, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, Jesus
Subs: Turner, Tierney, Kiwior, Jorginho, Smith Rowe, Vieira, Trossard, Nelson, Nketiah
We are doomed with that CB pairing
This Arsenal CAN win this match. Will they? Let’s find out!! Go Gunners!!!!!
All hopes lie on Jesus _/\_
I think our best hope of winning lies on Saka and Martinelli each having a near perfect game.
Why? I believe in the boys.
Would be more confident if they had a left back who was a left back to help them out. I suppose we’ll have to hope Zinchenko can cause City enough damage to justify leaving a space at the back.
We’re all doomed. Life ends the same for each of us. As for the game: ??? COYG!
We’d better try to outscore them then!
Hope we’re never 2-0 up !
Why are you thumbing this down? You can’t possibly think that big Norwegian lump was shivering in his boots looking at it?
Because according to many here, Holding is a very good CB, who is better than Canavaro, plus he had a great FA Cup final against Diego Costa about 6 years ago
Have to believe, COYG!!!!
🙏
And our captain becomes an Arsenal Centurion tonight, here’s hoping for a Martinclass🔴⚪️
Everybody behind the team today!!!
The lads really deserve all our support!
This is a successful season no matter the ending!
Well said. It’s about competing and fun. Total success!
Our away support has been outstanding all season. I have no doubt that they will be showing the team exactly how we all feel today. COYG!
Holding to score equaliser at ’89 and burst into tears along away fans!!!
Holdinho masterclass incoming.
Also, I’m serious. Reckon he’s got a good game in him.
I lied. Game over.
Ahahahaha. I love Bobby but no chance.
No Ake at City’s LB. Let’s hope Saka has a big night, he’s due an epic performance.
Very concerned about holding but if he can have a decent game and the others play as they can, we can win this. Come on you gunners.
Is there a single one of Citys XI who cost less than 50 million? Honestly hate them, COYG!
Manuel Akanji
We will have oil one day
oh no holding
*oh, no holding back!
Today I wear my brown pants.
I’ve been wearing my brown pants every game since the Liverpool one, they’re going to need a good wash tomorrow.
Stay frosty!
It’s nice to go into a game with absolutely no expectation other than a defeat: anything we get out of this game will be a massive plus.
I’m nice and relaxed 😎
Enjoy it buddy!
But you expect defeat in every game!!
Enjoy the game pal.
Shame, I had hoped we’d go down the 3-4-3 route!!!
Bad strategy to repeat the same tactics and team selection. Happy 2nd place.
COYG! That is all!
Their bench is ridiculous.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we defended deeper and tried more long balls today. Basically what they did to us in the reverse fixture.
Mik has faith in his players and doesn’t play Football Manager or what ever it is that many fans play. COYG.
Don’t think starting Zinchenko at LB in such a big game is a good idea. Even Guardiola — attack minded as he is — used to bench him in these big games.
Was really hoping we do something different. Well, I am not expecting much from this… just like I was not expecting much from Chelsea away last season. But look how that turned out!
We can hurt this City team. Our slump is over with that comeback against Southampton
Hmmm…Man City’s line-up might just work in our favour. Without Walker, Martinelli might just have a good game down that left. Becos, Walker is fast and able to recover whenever Martinelli breaks. Without him, Martinelli might be able to take advantage of City’s highline.
I can’t breath…🥵
Walker is playing
Oops! I missed that!
I was hoping he wouldn’t play Walkers. This has always been Pep’s strategy against us.
Well, let’s see how it goes.
Walker is playing mate
Xhaka back is critical. Wondering if Xhaka and Jesus will play deeper tonight. Instead of the usual 4-1-4-1, more 4-2-4.
Heart says 1-0 to The Arsenal.
But head says 0-2 to City.
Got a nagging feeling there’s gonna be a red card tonight though; really hope we stay calm and don’t throw the game away on a sending off.
With the obvious exception of Saliba’s absence (I won’t mention his replacement’s name because too many haters on here will wet the bed) we have got our strongest starting XI in our normal formation. Good; let’s keep that continuity that got us to tonight in the first place. I’ve seen more daft concoctions on here than an Ice Cream menu – thank God we have Xhaka back. Expecting big things from Odegaard and our two illustrious wide boys – and I hope Jesus has packed his scoring boots because we are going to need them. We can do this. Believe.… Read more »
Saka’s gona rip Akanji a new one if we can get the ball to him quickly
Use this game to complete the Southampton comeback, guys! COYRRGunnerrrs!
There was a debate at work; is a draw a good or bad result for Arsenal?
I think bad, because it then means relying on other teams to take points from City.
Let’s hope Mikel’s got them in the right frame of mind : play to win. I would have gone all guns blazing, with Jesus in the ‘Xhaka role’ and Eddie up front to give his all in the first half. Erase any doubts at the back by going straight for their jugular. Get the lead and re-assess at half-time 😉
Should gave been a back 3 Tierney Gabriel Holding – same as our FA Cup win except Gabriel for Luiz. Graham knew what to do in 1989. Oh well hope Im wrong COYG
You’re not wrong, you’re right. We all know he should do that and take holding out. Poor management.
I hope I’m wrong.
I hope you guys end up thumbing me down in your droves as usual.
But
Playing holding again is finally going to rip that plaster off that’s papering over the cracks of the draws we’ve been getting and could result in a spanking tonight.
1-0, It begins.
If we had Saliba we would have a chance.
Holding came from Bolton and that’s his level.
Another holding mistake and they were through again.
I like holding – a great professional but not a player you can rely on in a championship run in.
A world class centre back and left back are essential in the summer because to win trophies you will need to ride out games like this. Good things ahead for Arsenal 😊
Or play KT at left back already
Again I just don’t think he is as defensive as we need but still a better bet..
Annnnnnnnnnd you’re right 👍🏽
Arseblog is censorship.
Could have been 6-0 by half time
Holding is a joke.
He’s been passed four times leading to as many shots on goals
I hope he never plays for Arsenal again, after this season
I didn’t think we would do well playing our the same style and tactic. Becos, as we have spent the time studying City, Pep would have done same of us.
I would have been more hopeful if we changed the game style and tactic for this game. Just this game. Mix it up. Make us unpredictable.
Well, we leave to fight another day.
Kudos boys!
My thoughts exactly. Arteta showed he can coach a low block to devastating effect in his early days. Why NOT do something similar for this game? Defend deep and find a way to get Martinelli running at their defense?
Oh well, what do I know?
As I mentioned earlier, very bad decisions at the back have cost us yet another of our best chances of winning the league.
First the time when Leicester one it and now it’s this time.
Will we get another chance?
Don’t think so.
City is a deep pocketed club with the best manager of his generations + a well ‘oiled’ structure.
Newcastle plan is to become a City 2.0 with even more money.
Liverpool always a menace with Klopp and his philosophy ingrained in the club.
AFC had not one, but two freaking chances to win the title but bottled it.
Mentally weak this team. Two seasons in a row throwing away when crunchtime. People talking about Holding when White is getting cooked like fried rice by Grealish.
My fear was playing holding would cost us. City have targeted him and it’s clearly worked.
A mentally weak team, doesn’t go from 5th to 2nd in 12 months. Lack of quality depth is what cost us
Hope blogs and James really hammer home how much poor defensive management by Arteta without Saliba has cost us the title.
We all saw the team and knew what was coming. So did Pep.
Poor tactics from arteta again.
So predictable. Poor as F.
Pep changed a few things, Arteta? Na mate, just do what hasn’t been working again and leave one of your best players on the bench. Well done 👏
They are just better.
Financial doping …
Chelsea spent 600m and they’re shit.
It’s not doping. It’s spending well and buying the quality in depth so you can rotate.
They have money, but don’t tell me it’s all about money. They don’t have a single player in their squad that wouldn’t walk into ours.
just because there are two criminals and one is stupid, it does not make the other criminal innocent
Plonker
These comments have aged like milk 😂
Holding to score equaliser at ’89 and burst into tears along away fans!!!
Bottle job, nuff said
That’s a silly comment considering what these kids have done this season
They did great, but bottled the title. Blew a massive points lead, dropping points against much weaker opponents. Same thing we did last season. But no complaints from me the season was better then expected.
Could he have saved the first one? Anyway, we don’t deserv to get anything from this game.
Finishing second is way beyond what we all expected at the beginning of the season. It’s just the way we’re finishing that’s a bummer. And the hope from midseason to the gw30.
It’s the hope that kills you.
They say second would be good for Arsenal and it is progress but nevertheless to come so far.
At least make a fight out of it – are our front four even playing ?
The signing of top class defensive players must be the priority in the summer…
I feel sympathy for Rob Holding..
Up creek without a paddle
He earns 40k a week and has about much footballing talent as i did in my mid 20’s…..i drive a van for 600 quid a week. Sympathy should probably go elsewhere
600 quid to drive a van! You’re nicking a living
😂😂😂 6 hour days aswell
We didnt expect to be here, im so worried that our squad will feel demorilised (sic?) by finishing 2nd. We were fighting for fourth and played out of our skin for months and months, we over acheived……..more importantly we ACHEIVED what our seasons goal was! Lets strengthen lets build lets keep it posive GOYG
It’s so hard not to be demoralized by this. They are a good distance ahead of us still. This game doesn’t feel like a title bout whatsoever. Better to go back to reality now than last game of the season.
There is always a cretin that will down vote a positive comment l like this
Odegard decides to pass KDB FOR FUCK SAKE
Well that’s it then, soft first goal which is going to annoy me for sometime, but they are simply better at every level.
Before the season started I was not optimistic of even getting in the top 4 and that has been achieved with games to spare. I just hope we can lay a marker down for next season with a strong finish.
We need to look into a few quality signings to boost the squad depth too.
The “process” has been clear to see but a plan B less so ? Rob Holding puts heart and soul into the club but he changes the way the team plays Never going a season with 2 centre backs ! Sure that’ll be addressed but we still in all honesty need a Giroud type option up front
Sad we aren’t winning it proud of what we’ve done !