Manchester City are aiming to further extend their lead at the top of the Premier League as they take on Arsenal on Saturday. The defending champions currently have a healthy eight-point lead over second-placed Chelsea, and another three points could make them the undisputed favourites to retain the title, although things won’t be made any easier by an in-form Arsenal side.
Predicted Manchester City Lineup Vs Arsenal
Defence
Kyle Walker remains a doubt for Manchester City after once again missing out on the midweek encounter against Brentford. His continued absence may force Pep Guardiola to persist with Joao Cancelo at right-back.
There might be a change at left-back, though, with Oleksandr Zinchenko coming in at the expense of Nathan Ake, as part of Guardiola’s rotation policy
In central defence, John Stones remains a doubt. And while we would naturally expect Guardiola to make at least one change by bringing in Ake, the in-form nature of the Arsenal setup could see him persist with the trusted duo of Ruben Dias and John Stones.
There should be no changes in goal either, with Ederson Moraes looking for his fifth clean sheet in six Premier League matches.
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Midfield
Rodri wasn’t fully fit to feature against Brentford in midweek. However, the Spaniard might be an option against Arsenal, although it won’t be surprising to see Guardiola starting with Fernandinho before bringing in the ex-Atletico midfielder later on in the proceedings.
Changes might be in order elsewhere in midfield, though, with Ilkay Gundogan likely to swap places with Bernardo Silva in the number eight slot. He is expected to accompany Kevin de Bruyne, with the two set to play a crucial role in the team’s creative department in the final third.
Attack
As for the attack, Silva might retain his place in the side as he looks to operate down the middle. He is likely to be accompanied by the wide attacking duo of Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden, who may get the nod ahead of Riyad Mahrez, Jack Grealish and Gabriel Jesus after netting a crucial winner against Brentford in midweek.
However, Guardiola may rely heavily on his subs to make a difference, especially if his team struggles to break the shackles of the Arsenal defence this weekend.
