As far as team selections go, Mikel Arteta and his coaching staff could hardly have a trickier task on their plates than picking an Arsenal team to take on title rivals Manchester City on Sunday.
A victory or a draw at the Etihad Stadium (kick-off 4.30pm UK time; 11.30am ET) will keep Arsenal in the driving seat at the top of the table, but a loss would cut the gap to three points, with City holding a game in hand against Crystal Palace.
It’s no wonder that Arteta is feeling fired up but there’s no belittling the task at hand, especially with Bukayo Saka ruled out and the uncertain fitness of Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori.
Our Arsenal writers have had a go at picking their line-ups for Sunday’s showdown, and their selections highlight just how difficult it is to find the perfect balance for a game of such magnitude.
James McNicholas
Arteta’s selection will be largely determined by availability. At his press conference on Friday, he ruled out Saka. As yet, there is no clarity on Calafiori, Timber and Odegaard.
Even if Calafiori is fit to return, I expect Piero Hincapie to continue at left-back. The other defensive flank is a close call: Ben White has the experience but Cristhian Mosquera came through the midweek game against Sporting CP impressively. Against Jeremy Doku’s speed, Mosquera’s athleticism may see him get the nod.
The midfield three picks itself. Noni Madueke is expected to recover from a dead leg in time to play, while 16-year-old Max Dowman offers an intriguing wildcard from the bench. On the left, Arsenal will be better served by the craft of Leandro Trossard than the pace of Gabriel Martinelli.
Arsenal improved against Sporting when Kai Havertz replaced Viktor Gyokeres at centre-forward, and I expect Arteta will go with the German from the start this weekend. He offers Arsenal a more reliable outlet and competes better in duels. Crucially, he’s also an aerial threat from set pieces.
This starting XI also means Arsenal will have Martinelli and Gyokeres on the bench. Their direct running makes them potentially impactful ‘finishers’ if the game opens up in the later stages.
Amy Lawrence
To defend, to control, or to go for broke? It’s tempting to overthink this but surely Arsenal have to lean into their strength and not be reckless here. After all, Manchester City need to win this more than Arsenal. The draw suits Arteta’s team much more.
Fundamentals: stay in the game, be resilient. With this in mind, there is a danger of picking too many semi-fit players. So, it makes sense to choose the most robust of those — for example, Timber and Madueke, rather than Odegaard and Calafiori, who could both be useful changes from the bench if they can play, alongside other more direct attacking options.
Given how little the out ball sticks to Gyokeres, Havertz should start (unless Arteta goes rogue and plays a front two in an old-school 4-4-2, which be interesting to see at some point soon). The chance to pair Eberechi Eze and Odegaard in midfield is also tempting, but would be very bold in these circumstances.
Keep it tight, frustrate, but crank it up for a bit of tempo and penetration at the right time. Sounds easy, right?!
Rock Art
Arsenal should draw on some of the more positive elements from the Sporting draw.
If Timber is not fit, Mosquera should come in. He put in a more solid defensive showing than White has managed in recent weeks. At left-back, even if Calafiori is fit, Hincapie’s intensity could be better suited to tricky wingers away from home.
The midfield that started against Sporting should remain. Martin Zubimendi’s off-the-ball runs were encouraging, and Eze played with personality, as he did before his calf injury — that could be a difference-maker.
In attack, Havertz’s ability to hold the ball up and connect with those around him could be vital to giving Arsenal a foothold in the match. On the left, Martinelli’s pace increases Arsenal’s threat on the break, and his work rate provides support for Hincapie.
If Madueke is available, as Arteta hopes, he should start on the right. Tempting as it is to pick Dowman, it would be his first Premier League start, which feels like an unnecessary risk. Dowman off the bench would be one of Arteta’s few genuine options to change the momentum if needed.
If Madueke is not ready to start, Martinelli could be a good option on the right flank, with Trossard on the left.
And Sheldon
This is not a must-win game for Arsenal but it does feel like a must-not-lose encounter. The momentum will be entirely with Manchester City if they beat Arteta’s team on Sunday and their manager, more than anyone, will know the importance of not allowing that to happen.
Stopping this City team in their current form, however, is not going to be easy and they are playing with an attacking freedom Arsenal supporters could be forgiven for pining for.
That said, if any team is set up to stifle City, it is Arsenal. They are defensively solid and won’t take too many risks, meaning they should avoid being exposed at the back.
I have gone for Trossard over Martinelli on the left as the Belgian has shown more consistency throughout the season. Although Trossard lacks pace Martinelli’s pace, Madueke on the right can make up for that in abundance.
A wildcard option — and one I could easily get on board with — would be starting Dowman on the right, but that feels unlikely.
Nnamdi Onyeagwara
Arsenal enter this game with the advantage of not desperately needing to win, and the starting XI should lean towards that.
Mosquera and Hincapie are strong one-on-one defenders who, in the likely absence of Timber, will be Arsenal’s best bet at neutralising the wing threat of Doku and Antoine Semenyo.
Coming off a bright performance against Sporting on Wednesday, Eze will be Arsenal’s wildcard in midfield; an attacking threat that Manchester City did not have to contend with in the Carabao Cup final.
In Martinelli (and hopefully a fit Madueke), Arsenal will have pace on the wings to maximise counter-attacking opportunities. In Havertz, who is more adept at holding up play and bringing his team up the pitch than Gyokeres, the north London side will have a willing presser and hard worker leading the line.
And should Arsenal need a goal in the latter stages of the game, they will have Gyokeres and Trossard to bring off the bench. Dowman absolutely should be an option, too.
Rock Source
I fully expect Manchester City to approach this game just like they did in the Carabao Cup final. And if they do that, then it’s all about how effectively Arsenal can bypass their press and go long. That requires as much stickability up top as possible, so I’m picking Havertz over Gyokeres.
It’s worth remembering that City have to win this game, so if it’s tight later on, spaces will appear that Gyokeres is better suited to exploit. That’s the same reason I’m starting Trossard over Martinelli.
On the right wing, I’ve gone for Dowman. This could be crazy, but Arsenal need something different and if you can occupy Nico O’Reilly, then you can stop him making the runs that were so dangerous in the Carabao Cup final.
Based on fitness and availability, the other big decision in the line-up is who starts at right-back. I’ve gone for White as he’s well-rested after a night off midweek, and Mosquera is a good option to lock the game down later if needed.
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