Martin Odegaard don return for Arsenal starting line-up as dem dey face Manchester City for Sunday Premier League top table clash. The captain don come back after injury wey make am miss last two games, while Kai Havertz join am to start. Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli wey play for draw with Sporting on Wednesday don drop to bench. Eberechi Eze still dey hold im place, and Noni Madueke don shake off small injury to start for right wing.
David Raya dey for goal with back four wey no change: Cristhian Mosquera, William Saliba, Gabriel and Piero Hincapie. Manchester City side no change from the one wey beat Chelsea 3-0 last weekend. For Arsenal bench, na Arrizabalaga, White, Jesus, Martinelli, Gyokeres, Norgaard, Trossard, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman dey there.
Everybody dey wait for Sunday big match between Manchester City and Arsenal. From manager perspective, both teams get plenty strengths and small weaknesses. Mikel Arteta no get same experience or trophy record like Pep Guardiola, but na small managers get am. E must remind Arsenal team say dem dey where dem dey because, until now, dem don be the best team for Premier League this season.
Arteta don dey very positive when e dey talk to media recently, even though Arsenal form no too good. For training ground and dressing room this week, e go dey pro-active, dey give players positive vibes and remind them of their position. For City side, Pep Guardiola don dey revitalized. For end of last season, sometimes e dey look tired, and even early this season e no dey like im normal self.
Since January transfer window when Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi join from Bournemouth and Crystal Palace, City team don regain that ‘X-factor’ wey dem develop over years of achievement. Pep no go need help to get im players ready for this match. City don been written off by media experts, and dem sure go like throw am back for their face.
For football, crown fit dey heavy for team wey carry am. For now, na so e dey look for Gunners, but make nobody mistake am, City go dey desperately ready to take over title hold. With their recent success, dem go dey comfortable as front-runners. Pep no go ever change im way of playing possession football, but wetin don come back for City recent weeks na their players for wide positions.
Dem be fast and skillful players wey dey work opposition defenders for 90 minutes by running at dem or past dem. Riyad Mahrez before dey provide that for Pep City teams, but now dem get two fantastic players for those positions. With Semenyo and Jeremy Doku for team, plus Rayan Cherki wey get ability to take opponents out of games, City don dey frighten teams again.
Dem always dey possession-based under Pep, but if na my team face dem, the last thing wey I go want na make those three dey with possession high up the pitch. I believe na here City go try expose Arsenal. All three players dey threat once dem get one on one for wide areas, and anybody wey play full-back for Gunners go need bring their ‘A game’.
Semenyo na game-changer because e no just bring power and pace and ability to beat players for one-on-one situations, e dey goal threat too. Whether na am or Cherki for right side, or Doku for left, one thing sure – dem all fit be match-winners for City on Sunday. Because of that, I think City suppose get ball reach dem quick quick, because passes to their front players go help dem find those one-on-one situations.
If City slow when dem dey come out, Arsenal go drop deep and make am hard for dem to expose spaces wey those three players need. Arsenal hold six-point lead and small advantage for goal difference as dem enter Sunday game. If from start of season you offer this position to Arteta and all Arsenal supporters with six games to go, dem for snap your fingers off.
The issue wey dem get na say dem dey for their worst run of results this season, but despite that, double of Premier League and Champions League still dey on. Dem don play only one more game than City so far this season – 54 for all competitions compared to 53 – but dem get more injuries to contend with.
Key players like Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice don miss games recently, and even though dem strengthen their squad depth for summer, dem no add any players for January wey fit make difference now. City, for contrast, don write off their title hopes months ago but since January recruitment, dem don improve week in, week out.
Dem culminate am by winning first major trophy of season when dem beat Arsenal for Carabao Cup final last month. If their form continue, dem fit add league title and FA Cup to their trophy haul. Stats show say na this time of season when, historically, Pep City dey strongest and Arteta Arsenal dey weakest.
For win percentage, April don be City best month since Pep take charge for summer of 2016, and Arsenal worst under Arteta from 2019-20 season onwards. Still, outcome of Sunday game dey simple. If Arsenal win, I believe title na theirs. If City win, momentum go swing full circle and dem go become outright favourites to collect another title under Pep.
Draw go suit Arsenal more, but e no go automatically finish title race off. City get home advantage and dem get one week rest because dem don knock out of Champions League for last 16 by Real Madrid. Arsenal face away fixture and shorter time for their players to recover after playing Sporting on Wednesday.
But getting through that tie don important for dem, and e go give dem confidence boost wey dem fit carry enter City game. Both managers know each other inside out, and both sets of players go fully aware of challenge wey dem face. For paper, you go think say surprises go dey few for either team.
This na why Pep and Mikel dey collect big money as managers of our best clubs. Dem both go dey busy this week on certain tactical issues – basically wetin dem want their team to do, and how dem go stop opposition. If both teams decide say best way to win game na to build up from their goalkeepers, I personally go after dem high up the pitch and do my best to break their rhythm and passing patterns.
E dey risk, because both teams get defenders wey dey play comfortably under pressure and go, for occasions, break through even the best press. But while e dey high risk, e dey high reward too. Over past five seasons, more goals don dey conceded by turnovers in possession for team own half than ever before.
City go dominate possession despite that high press and go spend plenty time for Arsenal final third. So, with Gunners pressed back, how dem go counter-attack with sufficient quality to hurt City? When City dey in possession, dem push everyone forward but leave only two centre-backs covering their whole back line of defence.
Rodri go sweep in front of Abdukodir Khusanov and Guehi, but spaces dey to find either for wide or behind the two centre-backs – and na those areas for open play wey Arsenal get to exploit. To achieve that effective way, when Arsenal regain possession for deep areas, dem must get passes and runners past City back-line, by playing up, back and through.
E sound easy, but City go try regain the turnover quick quick and both of their centre-halves dey quick even if Arsenal fit manufacture foot race. Mikel side get ability to do this effectively. We know say dem get quality to play under pressure and dem go need am on Sunday if dem wan successful.
On top of all this, set-plays go again dey vital for dem, but also for City. As ever, quality of corners, free-kicks and throw-ins must match with desire to win that first and second ball – and na so e dey for anybody wey dey attack or defend.
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