Arsenal vs Manchester City - Competition: English Premier League
Arsenal FC come off the international break in 7th place of the English Premier League, sitting 4 points adrift the league leaders. The month of August saw the Gunners go unbeaten in 5 matches in all competitions, but they admittedly left much to be desired in draws against Besiktas and Leicester, as well as in narrow victories over Crystal Palace and Besiktas (2nd leg). They’ve played well in patches, but the finished product hasn’t quite molded together. This is in large part due to the long-term injury to Olivier Giroud, leaving Arsenal exposed up top with a raw athlete in Yaya Sanogo. However, transfer deadline day brought its usual madness, as the Gunners took advantage of Man United’s pricey loan move for Radamel Falcao, poaching youngster but experienced forward Danny Welbeck. The Englishman will get his shot at being a daily striker for the North London club, and his pace, power, and athleticism could end up being a critical boon for their attack. His finishing has left much to be desired in recent years, but with the assurance of plenty of opportunities at striker with Giroud out until 2015, he may be able to discover his goal-scoring confidence and touch. Furthermore, Welbeck netted both goals for England in their opening match of Euro Qualifying against a good Switzerland side, so confidence will be high here at the Emirates. But the fact remains that Arsenal simply struggled against the big boys as usual last season, and with Theo Walcott set to miss out once again (he has returned to full training), a victory is an unlikely scenario for the hosts.
Man City lost ground on Chelsea just
before the international break, shockingly falling in defeat to Stoke
City 1:0. While Stoke are a strong home team, their road form has always
been rather average, making the result all the more strange, especially
considering the Citizens lost just once at home last season in league
action. Manuel Pellegrini’s men began the season as expected, claiming
all 3 points at St. James’ Park and then comfortably handling Liverpool
3:1 behind 2 good goals from Stevan Jovetic. But the loss to the Potters
was potentially critical, as they now must face Arsenal on the road,
Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Chelsea at home, and then defend their title in the Capital One Cup. Therefore, the players know a positive result here at the Emirates Stadium is crucial, and with a fully-fit Sergio Aguero, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them claim all 3 points. However, Demichelis
has been really poor so far in the back, and it seems only a matter of
time before Eliaquim Mangala gets his shot. The Argentine should start
here, but he could end up proving to be a liability for the Citizen
defence. But Vincent Kompany is arguably the top defender in the Premier League, and the Citizens do have recent history on their side, losing just once to Arsenal in their last 8 competitive matches.
Match date:
Saturday, 13 September 2014
Kick Off Time: 12:45 BST - 11:45 GMT
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London, United Kingdom
Kick Off Time: 12:45 BST - 11:45 GMT
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London, United Kingdom
