- Arsenal ‘in the front row’ to sign Zubimendi this summer
- Arsenal tempted to swoop for £43m Benjamin Sesko
- Brighton could pay Arsenal at least £25m for Reiss Nelson
- Arsenal face a tough summer transfer fight for Antonio Nusa
- Arsenal to bid £85m for Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres
- Arsenal bid £60m for Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz
- David Ornstein predicts Massive squad transformation for Arsenal this summer
- Arsenal to sell Ramsdale and Partey to fund summer business
- Arsenal interested in signing Jonathan David this summer
- Arsenal register interest in signing Weston McKennie
Confirmed line-ups: Man City vs Arsenal: Kolasinac & Cedric start, no Pepe in squad
Arsenal desperately need to pick up a positive result when we take on Champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium this lunchtime.
Mikel Arteta has been handed a big boost as Bukayo Saka is passed fit to start in attack after overcoming a minor knock that he picked up during the 6-0 League Cup win over West Brom in midweek.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang keeps his place up front after scoring a hat-trick against the Baggies and Kieran Tierney is fit to return after recovering from severe cramp that hampered him during the closing stages of the defeat to Chelsea last weekend.
However, it appears Tierney will be deployed in the left wing-back role as Arsenal are starting with a back three with Sead Kolasinac starting with Rob Holding and Calum Chambers. Pablo Mari is among the subs.
Bernd Leno returns in goal so Aaron Ramsdale drops to the bench after making an encouraging debut last time out. Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe both start along with Granit Xhaka so Sambi Lokonga is on the bench.
Nicolas Pepe misses out on the squad entirely as he’s feeling unwell – but it’s not related to covid, apparently.
These are the teams for the game:
Arsenal
Leno, Chambers, Holding, Kolašinac, Cedric, Xhaka, Smith Rowe, Tierney, Saka, Odegaard, Aubameyang (C)
Subs: Lacazette, Okonkwo, Elneny, Martinelli, Maitland-Niles, Ramsdale, Sambi Lokonga, Marí, Tavares
Man City
Ederson, Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo, Rodrigo, Gundogan (C), Bernardo, Grealish, Torres, Jesus.
Subs: Steffen, Stones, Ake, Sterling, Zinchenko, Fernandinho, Mahrez, Doyle, Palmer.
JOEL
August 28, 2021 at 12:20 pm
I presume that Pepe watched his last 3 performances back…Enough to make anyone feel ill!
No coach worth his salt would ever play Kolasinac on the left side of a back three against Manchester City with Mahrez and Walker in that side….Cedric’s inclusion is puzzling.If he wasn’t deemed suited to playing against West Brom what makes Arteta believe that he will be able to nullify Cancelo and Grealish..
Malaysian gunner
August 28, 2021 at 12:59 pm
Man c were alliwed to cross and scored.The defence is shambolic and porous.
Dont be surprised it will be 5-0.
What next?