Arsenal given massive boost as star player spotted travelling with Gunners ahead of Manchester City clash amid illness concerns
Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has been spotted with the squad who have traveleld to the Etihad to face Manchester City in a potential title decider.
Mikel Arteta's men have made the trip up north to face City on Wednesday (April 26). There have been fears over Xhaka's availability. The Swiss midfielder missed the side's 3-3 draw against Southampton on Friday (April 21) due to illness.
Arsenal boss Arteta cast doubt over Xhaka's potential availability for the clash at Manchester City. He said in his pre-match press conference (via football.london):
"Granit has been out. Hopefully, he’ll be able to train today (Tuesday) but he’s still a doubt - the rest (of the squad) are OK."
However, Xhaka was seen arriving in Manchester alongside his teammates, in a video posted on Twitter.
Arsenal squad arrive in Manchester #MCIARS https://t.co/3bk4RoGuOG
That comes as a massive boost to the Gunners, who struggled in his absence against Southampton. The Swiss midfielder has impressed in an advanced role this season, scoring seven goals and providing five assists in 41 games across competitions.
Arsenal will be without William Saliba, though, as the French defender is nursing a back injury. Hence, Xhaka's potential return is crucial in their top-of-the-table clash with City.
Just five points separates the two title rivals heading into the midweek game. The Gunners are top, sitting on 75 points, while Manchester City are second on 70 points, but the Cityzens have two games in hand.
Arsenal icon Ian Wright confident about Gunners' chances against Manchester City
Arsenal icon Ian Wright insists that he's confident about his side's chances against their title rivals Manchester City. Arteta's side have six games left as they seek a first league title since 2004.
Hence, the Wednesday night clash between the Gunners and City is being billed as a title decider. Wright says that his former side have looked comfortable, even alluding to their performance in the 2-2 draw with Liverpool on April 9, telling Sky Sports:
"The massive juggernaut that Man City are, they're a great team. We're hanging in there, winning the games we need to win and winning them kind of comfortably. Even the Liverpool game was comfortable for a little bit. We're still playing well; we're still top, and it's still in our hands. I feel really confident."
The Gunners have faltered recently in the title race with City. They have been held to three consecutive draws.
To exacerbate matters, Arteta's side haven't picked up a single point against the Cityzens in their last 11 league meetings. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola's side have won three on the bounce and are hitting a rich vein of form. City are unbeaten in 16 games across competitions.