Man City vs. Arsenal Preview
Etihad Stadium, Sunday 5th November 2017
It’s Pep at the Etihad, and the pretender to our Invincibles throne. Can we kill their claim to this throne? Can we really?
Who knows?
City have been superlative this season. Yes, they were at the start of last season. But then this is now. Pep has changed them tactically, and they are sure favourites to win the league.
We did beat them last season in the Cup, but we will need a similar performance to do it again.
Issues
Kolasinac
If he’s back, all the better. We need his guile, grit, and tenaciousness, to get a result here.
Alexis
He has been rested, so bar a late catastrophe there should be no excuses.
Ozil
Ditto Alexis. He can silence the haters, if he turns up here. This is an away game at a top team, which supposedly he seldoms plays well in.
Kos/Per/Cech
Please gents. NO MORE MISTAKES. Swansea punished us, and we came back. Kun Aguero would have a field day if he seizes on any errors. And not just him, but Jesus, Sterling, Sane, de Bruyne, etc.
Wenger
Wenger has, to some extent, proven that he can tactically out-master other managers (Conte and Pep last season in the Cup are instances). He needs to do the same again. We got a draw at Chelsea due to this, and Wenger can somewhat alleviate the negativity post-AGM by ensuring the team is primed here.
Midfield change?
Could we flood the midfield here? Maybe if we played three in the centre, and brought on Ozil if we’re in a good position, it could help stifle City. This is not to knock Ozil, but then this configuration may aid things:
Ides of March? Nothing lasts forever?
It’s not good to rely on luck too often. But then nothing lasts forever. City cannot play well ALL the time, and they must have an off day now and then.
Wenger should use this as opportunity to rally the players to stop ANY pretension of their “neo-Invincibility”. Even get Lehmann himself as first team coach to come and tell them.
City are due a bad performance, so who knows?
PREDICTION
City 2-2 Arsenal
No, I’m not going mad. City has seldom played teams at home, this season, of our calibre. Even a draw would be a great result, and something to take some heart from.

MarbleHallsTV is an Arsenal social media account on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. Been a Gooner since the 90s, inspired by Ian Wright, then Bergkamp, Vieira, Henry, Pires, Campbell, Rosicky, Koscielny, Ozil and Sanchez. A digital marketer/entrpreneur by profession, born in UK living in the Americas now.
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