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Mikel Arteta returns to his old pitch in the hope that he will fare better than on his previous visit, with his Arsenal side traveling to the Etihad for a Premier League clash against Manchester City in disrepair.
Here’s everything you need to know before Saturday’s start in the capital so you can make some well-informed decisions.
🧩 Key details of Man City vs Arsenal
- 🗓 October 17, 2020
- 🏟 Etihad Stadium
- ⌚️ 19:30 Kick-off (EAT)
🖊 Match preview
With just one loss inflicted on Arsenal so far this season, confidence is high. On top of that, bringing in a big-money signing like Thomas Partey will raise a locker room that will have no illusions that the team needed more quality. More competition for venues will only help bring out the best in everyone.
With Liverpool’s loss essentially seen as a free kick, the two most recent victories, one against Liverpool, will put the club in good stead.
In the case of City, they started their 2020/21 campaign with an excellent 3-1 win at the Wolves, a match that is problematic even for the best teams. Since then, they’ve had a bump along the way, being crushed 5-2 at home to Leicester in a remarkable game after four minutes, which was followed with a 1-1 draw at Leeds.
Again, in that clash, they led and dominated, only to have defensive weaknesses cost them dearly. That game could easily have ended 5-1, 1-5 or 5-5. Arsenal don’t create enough opportunities, but their superior forwards would have hidden some of those opportunities.
Seeing a Guardiola team concede five goals in a single game, six in two if you want to incline it that way, is not what we have become used to. With all the money in the world, it is no good spending a lot on defenders if they are not being trained properly.
We look forward to a goal festival!
🧮 Probable initial XIs
🔵 MAN CITY
Planned formation (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Ruben Dias, Laporte, Mendy; Fernandinho, Rodri, Foden; Mahrez, Sterling, Torres
Unavailable: Zinchenko (wounded)
Questionable: De Bruyne (injured), Gundogan (illness), Jesús (injured), Sterling (injured), Agüero (injured)
🔴 ARSENAL
Planned formation (3-4-3): Log; Holding, Gabriel, David Luiz; Bellerin, Partey, Xhaka, Saka; Willian, Lacazette, Aubameyang
Unavailable: Martinelli (injured), Pablo Mari (injured), Chambers (injured), Mustafi (injured), Smith Rowe (injured), Sokratis (injured), Ozil (out of favor)
Questionable: Aubameyang (injury), Partey (physical fitness), Tierney (coronavirus)
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🔑 Key betting data
- This is the third of their four Premier League games this season that Manchester City have started the day in the lower half of the table, as many as in their previous 375 matches in the competition.
- Manchester City have won just four points from their three league games this season, their lowest total at this stage since 2010-11. Meanwhile, only twice in their league history have the Citizens lost their first two home games in a season: 1930-31 and 1953-54.
- Manchester City are winless in their last two Premier League matches, the last three without a victory in the competition in April 2017 (4). The third game of that streak was a 2-2 draw with Arsenal.
- Arsenal have won eight of their last 12 Premier League matches (D1, L3), more than in their previous 28 in the competition (G7, 13 D13, L8). In fact, since their loss to Brighton in June, no team has scored more Premier League points than the Gunners (25).
- Arsenal have had 77 10+ passing sequences in open play in the Premier League this season, and only Chelsea have had more (81). In fact, since Mikel Arteta took over at the club, the Gunners have scored more goals after a sequence of 10 or more passes than any other team in the division (11).
- Man City have scored at least three goals in their last three home games against Arsenal in all competitions.
- There have been more than 2.5 goals in the last five Arsenal (Premier League) games.
- Man City have scored at least two goals in their last 12 home matches (Premier League).
🌑 Futaa type: More than 2.5 goals
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