Manchester City vs. Arsenal -Preview, prediction, team news, lineups,missing players, available players
Manchester City is set to face Arsenal in a highly-anticipated Premier League match on Wednesday night. This top-of-the-table game is expected to be a spectacular showdown between the chasing champions and the languishing leaders at the Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola's team has almost a clean bill of health going into the game, with only Nathan Ake nursing a thigh injury. Guardiola is hoping Ake will be fit in time to play, as he scored the winning goal in January's FA Cup game against Arsenal.
Guardiola is expected to recall key players for the match, including John Stones, Ruben Dias, Rodri, and Kevin De Bruyne. Riyad Mahrez, who scored a hat-trick against Sheffield United, could also make it into the starting lineup. Meanwhile, Erling Braut Haaland, who has already scored 32 goals in the Premier League this season, needs just one more to break the record for a 38-game season. He could also make history by scoring his seventh hat-trick in Man City colors, thereby surpassing the record currently held by Andy Cole and Alan Shearer, who both scored 34 strikes in a 42-game campaign.
On the other hand, Arsenal has a key defensive concern as William Saliba is still recovering from a back injury and will miss Wednesday's game. The French center-back may even miss the rest of the season, which is bad news for the Gunners, as the underperforming Rob Holding will have to face off against Haaland. Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mohamed Elneny are also out for the season due to knee surgeries. However, Granit Xhaka is expected to return to the starting lineup after being ruled out of the draw with Southampton due to illness. If Xhaka is fit, the ineffective Fabio Vieira will make way for him.
Moreover, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus, who both played for Man City before, are expected to start for the Gunners. Gabriel Martinelli, who already has 15 goals this season, could make history by breaking the record for the most goals by a Brazilian player in a single Premier League season if he scores his 16th goal in this game.
Overall, this game is highly anticipated and is expected to be a thrilling match between two top teams in the Premier League. Man City is the chasing champion while Arsenal is currently languishing in the leaders' position. The fans of both teams are eagerly awaiting this match to see who will come out on top.
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Akanji, Dias, Laporte; Stones, Rodri; Mahrez, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Grealish; Haaland
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Ramsdale; White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Xhaka, Partey; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Jesus
PREDICTIONS : Manchester City 3-1 Arsenal
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