Manchester City (a): Team News From The Etihad Stadium

The Gunners take on Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League this afternoon. The kick-off is at 16:30 and the referee is Anthony Taylor. This match is live on Sky Sports Main Event, Premier League and Ultra HDR.

Manchester City XI: Ortega, Dias, Gvardiol, Ake, Akanji, Rodri, Silva, De Bruyne, Foden, Kovacic, Haaland.

Substitutes: Carson, Stones, Gomez, Grealish, Lewis, Alvarez, Matheus Nunes, Bobb, Doku.

Arsenal XI: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior, Jorginho, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Jesus, Havertz.

Substitutes: Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, Zinchenko, Partey, Vieira, Smith Rowe, Martinelli, Trossard, Nketiah.

Referee: Anthony Taylor.
Assistant Referee: Gary Beswick.
Assistant Referee: Adam Nunn.
Fourth Official: Thomas Bramall.
Video Assistant Referee: Jared Gillett.
Additional Video Assistant Referee: Darren Cann.

Pre-match views from the forum:

Tom Mix: “This could go any way. I would hope the days of us being thumped are gone though. I hope we can sneak it by a goal. but it’s going to require maximum concentration for the whole 100 minutes. One slip and it’s gone. If we concede first it will be extremely difficult to win.

Earlier in the campaign you’d have been delighted with a draw but I think a draw could give the title to Liverpool, poor as they are. The only plus with that is that they need to win even more than we do, behind on points and goal difference, so they can hardly play for a draw.

Heart says 1-2. Head says 0-1.”

Synical: “On Blue Moon they’re super-confident they’ll beat us. They’re saying that even in the unlikely event that it’s a draw it won’t affect their bid for the title. The possibility of losing is not even contemplated.

I’d love so much to beat them! Not even for the effect on our title bid, but just to wipe the smirk off their cheating, oily, entitled faces. The way they talk on their forum makes me cringe. I can’t wait for them to be relegated a couple of leagues!

I don’t think they’re all that at all. They looked absolutely crap and just hanging on by their fingernails against a depleted Liverpool in the second half of the Anfield game, and in other games such as at Villa Park. I hope our players see this too.”