Once again, it’s Manchester City and Arsenal up at the top of the table, just like its been for the past two seasons. Is this the year student (Mikel Arteta) finally bests teacher (Pep Guardiola)? If the Gunners can take a point, or better, from the road fixture between the two teams this season, it would make a major difference.
According to Gunners manager Mikel Arteta, they’ve been getting ready for this since the summer.
Arsenal FC at Manchester City FYIs
Kickoff: Sun. Sept. 22, 4:30pm, Etihad Stadium
Team News: Arsenal FC Manchester City
Starting XI Predictions: Arsenal FC Manchester City
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Google Result Probability: Arsenal 21% Manchester City 53% Draw 26%
PL Standing: Arsenal 2nd, 10 pts Manchester City 1st, 12 pts
PL Form: Arsenal WWDW Manchester City WWWW
“We’ve been preparing for this since preseason. Obviously, we knew the schedule and we know that it’s extremely rare to play in these conditions with three massive away games in six days,” Arteta said at his Friday news conference. “But it was what it was so we have prepared for that, both physically, mentally and tactically.
“We’re making sure that everyone is ready for it because we’re going to need them, especially with the injuries that we had from the international break.”
Arsenal FC Starting XI Prediction at Manchester City
David Raya; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jurrien Timber; Kai Havertz, Thomas Partey, Declan Rice; Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard
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. 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, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.