Manchester City will be hosting Arsenal on Saturday and they could be without two crucial players. How will that affect the way Pep Guardiola lines them up?
City had a tough game against Leeds United last time around as it ended 1-1. The lack of a recognised true striker hurt them as they could not sufficiently break down the opposition defence. The challenges Arsenal possess will be quite different. What will Pep Guardiola do to counter this threat?
As for the team news, the big concern will be the availability of both Kevin de Bruyne and Raheem Sterling.
Both pulled out of international duty due to fitness concerns remain a doubt for Saturday’s game.
Arsenal team news: go here
Arsenal starting XI prediction: go here
With central forwards Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero still out with injuries, it will be interesting to see how the manager copes with his absences.
The team that City does go with will line up in their usual 4-3-3 formation. In goal, it will be Ederson once again. At full back, Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy will likely take up the two spots. They will try to stretch the Gunners defence with their pace.
For the centre backs, it should be the duo that played against Leeds. Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte had a good game and will have their work cut out against the likes of Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Portuguese who recently arrived from Benfica appears to be settling in nicely.
In midfield, with De Bruyne still a doubt, it could be Bernardo Silva taking his place. Silva will be paired alongside the duo of Rodri and Phil Foden. The three can rotate their positions throughout the game and that will cause the Arsenal defence some concern. There is a chance that Fernandinho is brought in to add some experience, but it will more likely be these this trio playing.
In the attack, the potential absence of Sterling is indeed a problem, but he could still be back in time for this match. If he plays, it will be the same front three that played against Leeds with Riyad Mahrez and Ferran Torres taking up the other two spots. Though Manchester City will not have a physical presence in attack, the movement of these three will be crucial towards getting a victory.
Predicted Manchester City Starting XI against Arsenal (4-3-3):
Ederson, Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, Benjamin Mendy, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Phil Foden, Ferran Torres, Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling