Man City vs Arsenal: FA Cup showdown could have impact on title race

The Premier League’s top two teams face-off against each other when Arsenal head to the Etihad Stadium to take on Manchester City on Friday night in the 4th round of the FA Cup.

Mikel Arteta will be heading back to his old club but he’ll be in a very different situation compared to when he left City. The Spaniard served as Pep Guardiola’s assistant before leaving to take over at Arsenal for what was his first steps into management. The rookie boss appeared to struggle at first after guiding Arsenal to successive eighth-place finishes in the Premier League and there were calls for him to be sacked in North London after they blew a great chance to finish fourth last season.

However, Arteta will take his Arsenal side to the Etihad on Friday night as league leaders and arguably the best team in the country right now – even better than Guardiola’s much-praised City side. Arsenal have stunned the footballing world with their superb form this season that’s seen them win 16 of their 19 games so far. They sit five points clear of City with a game in hand and have beaten Tottenham, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United this season.

All that’s left is to beat Manchester City, and they have the opportunity to do so on Friday night. A place in the 5th round of the FA Cup is all that’s at stake, however, the outcome could have a significant impact on the title race, too. The physiological implications could be huge, especially if it’s Arsenal who come out on top. Knowing they can beat City will give Arteta’s team even more belief that they can go on to secure a famous title win this season.

The North Londoners eased into the 4th round with a comfortable win over Oxford United. They know it will be a different story against City but they have nothing to fear, especially as they come into the game off the back of wins over Tottenham and Man Utd. The fearless young-guns will be out to prove a point as much as anything else, and you wouldn’t bet against them winning at the Etihad.

However, we’ve be foolish to discount Man City at this point. They haven’t been at their free-flowing best at times this season but they are still one of the best teams in the world. The squad is packed full of quality and with Erling Haaland up front, they will always be a huge goals threat. The Norwegian has already scored a ridiculous 25 league goals in 20 games this season and is well on course to smash the record.

How to watch

This game is certain to be a sell-out with supporters desperate to see the two best teams in the country going head-to-head. It won’t be easy to get hold of Manchester City tickets for this game so fans should only use reputable ticket reselling sites if they want to attend the match in person.

The good news is for anything who can’t get their hands on a ticket, the match will be shown on terrestrial TV. Understandably, Manchester City versus Arsenal was selected by the TV companies for live broadcast as it is the pick of the FA Cup 4th round ties. The game will be shown live on ITV, kicking off at 8pm on Friday night.

Rotation?

It’s going to be interesting to see how both managers approach this game. Guardiola and Arteta would almost certainly have rested several key players and rotated their squads for any other FA Cup 4th round tie. However, being drawn against your title rival may change their approach on Friday. I still expect to see some rotation but City and Arsenal should both put-out very strong teams for the game.

Guardiola’s squad is in good health and Phil Foden is nearing full fitness following a knock so he could be recalled after missing the win over Wolves with a foot issue. Back-up goalkeeper Stefan Ortega could be given the nod ahead of Ederson while Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Joao Cancelo and Bernardo Silva could also be recalled after being named on the bench last weekend.

Arteta doesn’t have the luxury of having such a deep squad to choose from compared to Guardiola so we may see less rotation from Arsenal. However, Matt Turner may get a run out in goal as he’s been Arsenal’s cup keeper this season so Aaron Ramsdale may get a rest. Kieran Tierney should also be recalled at left-back with Oleksandr Zinchenko making way after his superb performance against United.

Takehiro Tomiyasu should start ahead of Ben White at right-back but Arteta may stick with his favoured central defensive partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel. Arsenal don’t have too many options in midfield with Mo Elneny injured and Albert Sambi Lokonga not showing his best form when given the opportunity this season. Therefore, Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka may have to start once again in the middle of the park.

Martin Odegaard is likely to be rested with Fabio Vieira coming in to the attacking midfield role. Leandro Trossard made a terrific impact off the bench on his debut against Man Utd on Sunday following his move from Brighton. The Belgian played his part in the late winner at the Emirates Stadium and he should come in to make his full debut on Friday.

Eddie Nketiah and Bukayo Saka were both excellent at the weekend but they could both be rested against City. Emile Smith Rowe should come in to make his first start in over four months having recently recovered from a niggling calf injury. Gabriel Martinelli may keep his place in the front three with Gabriel Jesus and Reiss Nelson still on the sidelines.

Line-ups

Man City: Ortega; Walker, Dias, Akanji, Ake; Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne; Mahrez, Haaland, Alvarez

Arsenal:  Turner; Tomiyasu, Saliba, Gabriel, Tierney; Xhaka, Partey; Smith-Rowe, Vieira, Martinelli; Trossard

Prediction

Arsenal have been the best team in the country this season and Arteta will be desperate to secure a win over Man City. Not only to continue their FA Cup run but also to make a statement in the title race and show they deserve to be at the top of the table.

The trouble is, Arteta cannot afford to play his strongest side in-case of injuries which would derail their title charge. And the Arsenal squad just doesn’t have the same depth and quality as City’s does. For that reason, we think Man City will be too strong on Friday and will edge an entertaining game to book their place in the next round of the FA Cup. Man City 2-1 Arsenal