Draw Premier League: Manchester City 0 - 0 Arsenal | Sunday 31st March | KO: 16:30 BST | Sky Sports

Prediction
Man city 0-1 Arsenal

 

[Dennis_Bergkamp_10]

This is it. If we want to win the league we've got to give a performance that merits champions. Not many clubs go to the Etihad and perform. City as well will see this as a must win, given Liverpool's more easy schedule.

Wonder which Arsenal team will show up. The dominant one that grabs you by the throat or the one sitting back like we did at Porto with no shots on target.

 

[Riou]

No fear...

...just bring it!

 

[Pop Tart]

No fear...

...just bring it!

Kai to Haaland when that gimps back is turned

 

[Riou]

This is how I want our players to feel when they enter this game...

... believe lads as you CAN get a result here!

 

[boonthegoon]

Ewww this fixture

Hope we sneak out a draw. I'd be more than delighted with that.

 

[Gooner Zig]

We can absolutely win this, think it'll be a draw though.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

Probably need the win for a serious chance of the title. Draw isn't disaster but I think to really put ourselves in the driving seat, we need that statement result and to me this would put us as firm favorites if we were to get a win here. Draw really puts Liverpool in the driving seat with their run in.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

I'm a tad worried that we'll just go copy and paste with our lineup. The one we've been using for the past while. Reckon Pep will be focusing on ways to exploit and overcome that particular setup while he himself is quite likely to spring a surprise. Arteta will need to something clever here too to get one over Pep. Just relying on the team that's served us well won't cut it.

During the game between Liverpool and City Klopp made a clever half-time tactical tweak which turned the game in their favour and had City on the ropes. We'll need similar cleverness from Arteta.

 

[Nunowoolmez]

Getting a win would sure make things spicy at the top ! It's about time we beat them at their place & it would be worth it to see the pundits & press cry about it haha

 

[TheEliteMaster100_]

Can we at-least try to be competitive with City at the Etihad for once ? As it stands, we cannot lose here, a draw is fine provided we don't drop points at the Amex, White Hart Lane and Old Trafford and not having those horror home games last season like bournemouth 3-2, Southampton 3-3, Brighton 3 loss, etc.. as we need to win all of our home games.

Play Kiwior LB unless Tomiyasu is fit, Jorginho 6, Rice 8 and Ødegaard. Havertz CF, Saka RW and Nelli LW.

Jesus and Zinchenko were disgraceful last season at the Etihad, we have a chance if both are not starting.

Arteta's game management, man management and rotation skills will tested heavily during this hectic schedule period.

 

[Dennis_Bergkamp_10]

I'm looking back at results, our last win at their place was 0-2 when Cazorla toyed with them. We drew 2-2 with them in May 2016 and after that, we lost everything at the Etihad, with that 5-0 being the absolute low.

It's about time we win there. Even United somehow got wins at their place despite being a ****show for 10 years running now.

 

[El Duderino]

On the face of it, you'd take a point and go home happy.

But given City's propensity to go on winning streaks much like the one we're currently under, playing to actually win this is probably the right call.

Would be a massive boost and put us firmly as the current favorites.

It's a risk, specially since we're usually slow starters after an international break, but I just think its time to put on the big boi pants on.

 

[Riou]

He stepped up last in this stadium...



...who can step up next?

 

[DJ_Markstar]

This is how I want our players to feel when they enter this game...

... believe lads as you CAN get a result here!

Its sweet that Jens let you stand in front of him for the photo.

 

[DJ_Markstar]

First time in a long time I believe we can actually be the better team and win at their sh!t ground. I'm going for a cautious 2-1 to The Arsenal.

 

[Oxeki]

Noticed this season they're far more negative when playing very good teams. Against us at the Emirates, it felt like they were content to take a point. Against Liverpool two weeks ago, it was the same case.

 

[Morning_woody]

It's time to get something from that shyte hole. If I was tets i would have players training inside a library, just so they get used to the "atmosphere" that awaits them at the Emptyhad.

 

[Oxeki]

Let's smash the over-celebrating ****ers...

Biggest game of our season.

Ederson
Walker stones dias ake
Rodri
Kdb bernardo
Foden Grealish (if fit)
Haaland.

If grealish isn't fit, kovacic in midfield and silva on the right. Got to control the game

In a way, perhaps our biggest test of the season. As well as we’ve played, I would posit that we’ve not actually beaten anyone of substance yet (bar maybe Sp**s away in the Cup). We’ve certainly had our moments in the big games, to be sure, and if we had converted our possession into goals in some we might not be talking about a three-horse race, but in the big games we’ve found it and often made it tough going. That’s understandable. We have a young squad, particularly in attack, and I sense that they just need one game, like this one coming, where everything clicks and falls into place. That would stand us in good stead, and a victory would then give them enormous self-belief and set them up for the challenges to come.

Just win. Nothing else is acceptable otherwise we’ll be handing our title to the scouse ****, and nobody wants that. Plus if we win this it’ll probably end Arsenal’s hopes of winning the title. We can’t afford to drop any points for the rest of the season.

We're still miles ahead of them if we perform as we know we can, if we reaxh the levels we know we can. Tey simply wont be able to compete with us. If we are underpar though we can easily get comfortably beat.

It's unquestionably a must win now, fail to win and the title is gone, it's all about us stepping up, perform and we win, we haven't had a top level performance all season, now is the time to rectify that.

Potential for a huge momentum shift if we win this one.

They edged the game at The Emirates but didn’t do enough to justify winning the game. No more brain farts from Kovacic, please.

Arsenal have tougher games after this but not convinced Liverpool do which is why it's a must win for me.

We are better than them, but it will be a tough, open game as they have improved from last season.

This is Arsenal's Waterloo. If they want to win the league they've got to show the performance that merits that at the champions.
I just don't think they've got it.
3-1 to City.

Let’s not make arsenal out to be prime Barca here. They have improved and did well not to fall apart after Christmas but they won’t be able to keep it up.

2 weeks break came at a good time for us barring injuries. Business end, time to kick on.

Just like city against Madrid in Europe. They want our crown, they better come with a wrecking ball to take it.

Have Arsenal got the balls? Don’t know but I do know city have huge blue ones.

This is our time to take them out.

They'll have gone off the boil completely by the time they get to us. What could be worse than a visit to our fortress when they haven't played for the best part of 3 weeks, and lost all momentum.
They're ****ed.

They have taken 7/9 against us and the dippers so far. We haven’t won once against top 5 sides. I’d say this game is maybe 60/40 this season as we are at home but they are capable.

Just to put this into context Arsenal had 3 weeks off after Xmas and have won every league match since, scoring a barrel load of goals.

The break helped them build momentum after they lost 2 matches in a row. They won't be spending the time off watching Netflix.

Dictionary definition of a must win. We haven’t beaten a top team, in thr league, all season. Some fear must be put into the other two.

Difficult game, Arsenal are a bloody good side.
Hopefully no injuries during the internationals break.
Must win, 3-2 City

Just like last year, teach the tarquins a lesson and send the Spanish cockney home with his tapas between his legs.

First goal is so pivotal in this match - once again a draw would be awesome for us, logically City will win this one if they bring their A game as City's peak level is still higher than Arsenal's. Arsenal need the 1st goal to get anything from this match and I reckon Arsenal might go hard at City from kick off just like Arsenal did at the Dippers in order to try and get the 1st goal and then try and catch City on the break as City push forward. If the City that murdered Madrid 4-0 turn up then forget it. If the City that beat Inter 1-0 turn up then Arsenal have a chance. In many ways the result is up to City as if they play to their maximum then they are going to win regardless of what Arsenal do, we won't be able to keep a peak City out for 96 minutes.

It's a must win game in my opinion. I think we feel that as fans and the atmosphere should be quality like it was last season. The players will hopefully also feel it and look to make a statement. Arsenal's fixtures are the hardest, we have a packed schedule and Liverpool have the edge in terms of league position and only being in the Europa League. We've got to keep the pressure on with a win.

For me also, not just the 3 points but hopefully a psychological blow to them as well.

Arsenal will not come to the Etihad and win. Simple as that. City will do the business

Looks like Gabriel might be out for Arsenal due to an Achilles injury. Massive loss for Arsenal if confirmed.

Martinelli also pulled out of Brazil squad as well as Jesus but they are both recovering from injury and expected to be fit for City match.

Arteta trying to be a smartarse with mind games, won’t work.

Haha no chance mate - he’ll 100 % be back for us!

Nah it’s a minor injury and definitely available for game against us. It’s just Arteta bring a ****, is that 3 players he’s withdrawn from various international squads?

 

[SA Gunner]

Whoever gets the goal first, will get a huge advantage in this game. Because chasing the game against Arsenal, City or Liverpool means you have to take more risks defensively, and even if you take your time to get back into the game, its still not a position you want to be in against the top 3 sides.

Arteta needs to do something different tactically, not seen before and that can catch City out, even for a moment. If we remember last season at the Etihad, it was that on field swap between De Bruyne and Haaland that bamboozled our defense. If we remember, it was De Bruyne scoring, and Haaland providing the assist for the first goal, and I'd say the opposite was expected by our defense and our man to man markers. De Bruyne was expected to assist and hence was less marked than Haaland.

In the Emirates game earlier this season, we had Havertz and Tomiyasu push up to occupy their defenders and win the aerial ball for the knock down. It was something that Arteta substituted TP5 and Tomiyasu on for specifically. Something like this will be needed again on the day.

A draw is not the end of the world, but I think a win is important here. Its going to be very difficult of course, but this is exactly the game you perform in to send a message to the dressing room (in a potential semi final second leg) and the rest of the league as well.

Think we'll win this one, it will be a tight 0-1 or 1-2.