WeeklySA_AdminINTRIGUE: ARSENAL NEED TO WIN AGAINST CITY DESPITE INJURY CONCERNS TO TOP STRIKER BUKAYO
By Ali Mphaki
This is no time to wobble… Ascribed to the “Iron Lady” Margareth Thatcher in conversation with George Bush Snr those many years ago, these famous words could not have been more apt than to the Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta ahead of his team’s Premier League encounter with champions Manchester City on Sunday.
It’s a massive fixture and undoubtedly the cherry on top in an otherwise lukewarm weekend of fixtures leading to the Fifa break. Unlike Pep Guardiola his counterpart it is Arteta who is sweating considering Arsenal’s record against City has been abysmal in recent years.
Last season, the Citizens won 4-1 at home and 3-1 away against the north London outfit, although the two English heavyweights played out a 1-1 draw back in August during the Community Shield – which Arsenal eventually won on penalties.
If statistics are anything to go by, The Gunners have failed to record a Premier League win over the Citizens since December 2015 – before Pep Guardiola had even arrived at the Etihad Stadium.
Adding a further intrigue to this encounter is the injury concerns on Bukayo Saka (still to pass a late fitness), even though reports late Friday suggest the sensational winger could be in contention for Sunday’s game. The forward went off with a muscle injury in the first half of Tuesday’s 2-1 Champions League defeat at Lens.
Saka, 22, has played in each of Arsenal’s past 87 league games, a club-record streak in the Premier League. “He is in contention, we’ll see how he progresses from here to Sunday,” Arteta was quoted as saying.
With Arsenal’s style of play characterised by wing play, one more headache for Arterta is the fitness of left winger Gabriel Martinelli.
Obvious that Arteta will assemble the strongest possible squad with the hope to win the battle in the middle of the park. City are without two of their first-choice midfield with Kevin de Bruyne a long-term injury absentee and Rodri suspended.
City had looked imperious once more with six wins out of six, but what a difference a week makes. Defeat in the Carabao Cup by Newcastle and a first loss in the league to Wolverhampton Wanderers has left Guardiola’s men looking a little vulnerable. Lest we forget, it was the two fixtures between Arsenal and City which proved pivotal to deciding the title race last season, the latter finally overtaking them in April before marching on to retain their crown.
If Arsenal have any designs to win that title, they do need to win this game.
A Saka punch awaits Guardiola
