Draw Premier League: Manchester City 0 - 0 Arsenal | Sunday 31st March | KO: 16:30 BST | Sky Sports

Prediction
Man city 0-1 Arsenal

 

[Batman]

3-0 Arsenal. Foden and Haaland on milk cartons.

 

[LookingForEric]

Well we could be quite fortunate if Stones, Akanji and Walker are out. City will still be a threat going forward but it allows us to be more of a threat.

Shame we probably won’t have Martinelli to exploit the back line.

 

[TH14shahriar]

 

[Dennis_Bergkamp_10]

You just know both Walker and Akanji will start.

 

[LookingForEric]

They started Ake, Walker and Akanji vs Liverpool. Dias and Gvardiol were on the bench.

One would assume they’d prefer to play with Dias and Gvardiol against Havertz/Trossard anyway.

Akanji and stones are bigger blows than Walker.

 

[BaZZe]

Wow AFCAMDEN was waffling, who would've thought?

Remember the last time Martinelli came off the bench against City after being injured?

 

[sakalacaxhaka]

With the change in personnel for City due to injuries I can see them lining up quite defensive, I think pep showed he was worried about being too open in the first game at the emirates

Last season they went long and relied on us pressing quite high, I think it will be the same this time around, however Saliba and Gabriel will cope much better with that tactic than Holding and Gabriel did last year

I anticipate quite a fast start from us, similar to the Liverpool away games, I just hope we're more clinical and can then keep it tight, the atmosphere at city is a different world to anfield, which is why they got the results in the end

 

[Gooner Zig]

With the change in personnel for City due to injuries I can see them lining up quite defensive, I think pep showed he was worried about being too open in the first game at the emirates

Last season they went long and relied on us pressing quite high, I think it will be the same this time around, however Saliba and Gabriel will cope much better with that tactic than Holding and Gabriel did last year

I anticipate quite a fast start from us, similar to the Liverpool away games, I just hope we're more clinical and can then keep it tight, the atmosphere at city is a different world to anfield, which is why they got the results in the end

I disagree; if you look at the two matches we've played vs City (CS and Emirates) we've not really pressed City too high up the pitch, rather we engaged them in a mid-block. I think we'll be happy for them to have the ball in their defensive zones.

It'll be a cagey, tight affair imo.

 

[DJ_Markstar]

I disagree; if you look at the two matches we've played vs City (CS and Emirates) we've not really pressed City too high up the pitch, rather we engaged them in a mid-block. I think we'll be happy for them to have the ball in their defensive zones.

It'll be a cagey, tight affair imo.

It was actually a high press that lead to De Bruyne's goal via Haaland and the general ease with which they played through us previously, Arteta has learned from this and we do indeed engage in what I call a rotational mid-block, allowing only the weak ball playing defenders/GK time on the ball.

 

[sakalacaxhaka]

The tactic in the past has been to high press early on, it majorly backfired last season at the Etihad, which was largely due to Holding not being able to cope with Haaland when City went long

I think that tactic could work now we have the defensive stability and players in midfield to cover the gaps City picked off

At the emirates you're right we did sit off, as did City, but away from home we have had the tendancy to try and open teams up early and put them on the back foot, if we sit back too much at the start at the Etihad the crowd will put them under a lot of pressure to pin us in

 

[Tomb Bombadil]

I guess Walker and Akanji should be fine. But a big question mark behind Stones.

So City might be playing like this:

Ortega
Walker/Akanji - Dias - Ake - Gvardiol
Rodri
Kovacic - De Bruyne
Foden - Haaland - Bernardo​

Or what do you think?

 

[Gooner Zig]

The tactic in the past has been to high press early on, it majorly backfired last season at the Etihad, which was largely due to Holding not being able to cope with Haaland when City went long

I think that tactic could work now we have the defensive stability and players in midfield to cover the gaps City picked off

At the emirates you're right we did sit off, as did City, but away from home we have had the tendancy to try and open teams up early and put them on the back foot, if we sit back too much at the start at the Etihad the crowd will put them under a lot of pressure to pin us in

The tactic *could* work but it's very risky, especially away at the Etihad as City are a world class team who can cut us open if we even make one mistake in our pressing patterns. If City are pinning us back, we have the option to lop the ball over the top of their press to Havertz; an option we didn't have last time.

 

[Gooner Zig]

I guess Walker and Akanji should be fine. But a big question mark behind Stones.

So City might be playing like this:

Ortega
Walker/Akanji - Dias - Ake - Gvardiol
Rodri
Kovacic - De Bruyne
Foden - Haaland - Bernardo​

Or what do you think?

There's no way Pep will deploy Gvardiol vs Saka, it'll be Ake at LB who has a good record vs Saka.

 

[Gooner Zig]

Assuming Martinelli isn't fit enough to start, this is my preferred line up:

-------------Raya---------------
White--Saliba--Gabriel--Kiwior
---------Jorginho----------
------Ødegaard--Rice----------
----Saka--Havertz--Jesus------

 

[sakalacaxhaka]

The tactic *could* work but it's very risky, especially away at the Etihad as City are a world class team who can cut us open if we even make one mistake in our pressing patterns. If City are pinning us back, we have the option to lop the ball over the top of their press to Havertz; an option we didn't have last time.

Very true, I think cutting out any risk against city is impossible, and if we sit back too much you're asking the best team in the world to try and open you up, invariably they do

We have to be brave, and in my opinion for us to win the league we have to win, a draw is an ok result if we were just competing with City, but I don't see L:iverpool dropping more than 3 pts till the end of the season, and I just can't see us dropping less than 3 with our run in

Arteta and Guardiola will definitely try and out think the other one, so it's going to be very intriguing

 

[Tir Na Nog]

City back 5 for Sunday at this rate.

Hart
Mills Dunne Lescott Ball​

 

[Gooner Zig]

Very true, I think cutting out any risk against city is impossible, and if we sit back too much you're asking the best team in the world to try and open you up, invariably they do

We have to be brave, and in my opinion for us to win the league we have to win, a draw is an ok result if we were just competing with City, but I don't see L:iverpool dropping more than 3 pts till the end of the season, and I just can't see us dropping less than 3 with our run in

Arteta and Guardiola will definitely try and out think the other one, so it's going to be very intriguing

To be clear, I am not advocating for us to "sit back" and soak up City pressure, that is foolish. My argument is that we will engage City in a mid-block without committing to a high press like we have done in previous seasons.

 

[Makingtrax]

I guess Walker and Akanji should be fine. But a big question mark behind Stones.

So City might be playing like this:

Ortega
Walker/Akanji - Dias - Ake - Gvardiol
Rodri
Kovacic - De Bruyne
Foden - Haaland - Bernardo​

Or what do you think?

Stones and Ederson definitely out. Walker, Akanji, De Bruyne, Haaland all have late fitness checks. Even of they're cleared fit, they could be second half subs.

 

[LookingForEric]

Stones and Ederson definitely out. Walker, Akanji, De Bruyne, Haaland all have late fitness checks. Even of they're cleared fit, they could be second half subs.

KDB and Haaland as well?! Woah

 

[Makingtrax]

City back 5 for Sunday at this rate.

Hart
Mills Dunne Lescott Ball​

Apparently Pep is in talks with Burnley to loan out Company for this game. Money talks!