Arsenal are still top of the table, and that’s where you want to be, but the tide is really turning against them in the Premier League title race. They must now visit second place Manchester City on Sunday, and they’ll do so with a margin at the top that has become very narrowed down. The margin has narrowed to a point where a loss this weekend, plus a Man City win at Burnley on Wednesday means the Cityzens would then potentially supplant them, depending on goal differential, as league leaders. At the very least, they would be even. In other words, Arsenal really need a result on Sunday, and to get it, they might have to do so without the services of Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber and a couple more key players.
Arsenal FC at Manchester City FYIs
Kickoff: Sunday April 19, 4:30pm, Etihad Stadium
Team News: Arsenal Part 1 Arsenal Part 2 Manchester City
Google Result Probability: Arsenal FC 22% Manchester City 52% Draw 26%
PL Standing: Arsenal FC 1st, 70 pts Manchester City 2nd, 64 pts
PL Form: Arsenal FC WWWWL Manchester City WWDDW
Arsenal Team News
Let’s get you up to speed on the injury/fitness situation with this trio, who all missed out on the nil-nil stalemate with Sporting Lisbon last night.
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta would not go into detail on the football injury playing Saka, but at least he revealed what the specific body part is which is plaguing the English winger.
“It was something that he was carrying for a while,” Arteta said on Tuesday night.
“It was an Achilles issue. It’s progression but hopefully it’s going to be a matter of days and not weeks. But he has to see when the load is more how he responds to that kind of progression.”
Saka, a talisman for Arsenal in every sense of the word, has missed the past few weeks with what is reported to be tendinopathy. He last played in the EFL Cup Final defeat, against this same Man City side, but he can’t be rushed back. If he returns too soon, there is a risk the problem will worsen, and then he’ll be gone for the whole season.
As for Timber, he’s been out a month due to a groin issue, and most likely, the Dutch central defender will not be fit in time for this epic clash. And then finally with Calafiori, his injury is unspecified/undisclosed.
It is quite possible that he is just on a minutes management plan right now.
He could be available on Sunday, we’ll just have to wait and see.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.