2 things to watch for in Manchester City vs. Arsenal
Manchester City will face Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium in an all-important Premier League match on Wednesday, April 26. The fate of this season’s league virtually hinges on this match and the team losing in that match can basically kiss the title good-bye. A draw, meanwhile, will still keep the race for the title wide open.
Arsenal are five points ahead of Manchester City at the moment, but the latter have a couple of matches in hand. Should Pep Guardiola’s team manage to win on Wednesday, it will be very difficult to stop them thereafter.
On that note, we will take a look at two things to watch for in the match.
#1 Arsenal wingers will hold the key
Manchester City will most likely play with a three-man defense and it should provide an opportunity for the Gunners to breach it with their front-three. Both Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have been very good this season and their incisive runs should pose a threat to the Cityzens.
Moreover, Martinelli’s tendency to move into the opposition penalty box and score goals is another thing that the likes of Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji, and Nathan Ake will have to deal with. In this regard, Rodri will play a vital role as well with his ability to drop down and come up with the necessary interventions.
However, it will be difficult to mark Gabriel Jesus, who is very mobile and has a good goal-scoring record, too. The Brazilian centre-forward has scored nine goals in an injury-laden season so far, but could still play a crucial role in securing the Gunners’ first league title in almost two decades.
#2 Both Manchester City and Arsenal will try to dominate ball-possession
Both Manchester City and Arsenal prefer to dominate ball-possession, but the Cityzens are likely to do so by virtue of their superior midfield. John Stones’ additional presence, Rodri’s ability to play long passes, and Kevin de Bruyne’s creativity should all combine to give City a very formidable midfield.
Hence, both Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka will have to help their defense out frequently. The Arsenal centre-backs will be occupied by the goal-machine that is Erling Haaland, who has scored a staggering 48 goals this season already. However, if Xhaka is not fit to play, Jorginho will have the difficult task of containing the Manchester City midfielders.
However, Manchester City’s attacking prowess could prove to be more than a handful for the Gunners, who will struggle to maintain a clean sheet on Wednesday.
The ability to strike through counter-attacks could have been beneficial for Arsenal against the Cityzens, but the Gunners’ usually prefer to attack through slower build-ups. Whichever way the match goes, it should be an enthralling experience for the spectators.