Oleksandr Zinchenko said it best, Arsenal’s Premier League title charge is no laughing matter. The Gunners are top of the league table with 50 points after 19 games, putting five points above second-placed Manchester City, who have played one more match. Now the teams will clash again, this time at the Etihad Stadium in Friday night’s FA Cup fourth round clash.
Zinchenko, who won four league titles at Man City, knows what it takes to win the PL. He’s obviously not the only connection to City here, as injured striker Gabriel Jesus moved over from The Etihad last summer, and manager Mikel Arteta was an assistant under Pep Guardiola at City.
Arsenal at Manchester City FA Cup 4th Round FYIs
Kick-off time: 8PM GMT, 27 January 2023, The Etihad
Team News: Manchester City Arsenal
Starting XI Predictions: Manchester City Arsenal
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Stat Pack: City have won their last nine FA Cup home matches, scoring 3+ goals in every match
Now wonder Guardiola said this past weekend that Arsenal “have it all” right now. They have so many pieces that the legendary Catalan is very familiar with.
Arsenal Team News
Arsenal also have no fresh injury concerns, with only a trio of players: Gabriel Jesus, Reiss Nelson and Mohamed Elneny unavailable for selection. The triad are long term injury absentees. They did acquire a new player though, their second of the January transfer window, in Jakub Kiwior. Here is a link to more on the Polish fullback who was acquired from Serie A side Spezia.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager 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’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.