This is my team , also.Ederson
Cancelo
Stones
Dias
Zinchenko
Rodri
Gundogan
De bruyne
Bernardo Silva
Foden
Jesus
Thanks Mag!View attachment 10709
Premier League Stats
The overall Head-to-Head stats obviously favour them from the years they were stronger and we weren't but the Recent Meetings record show that we pretty much own them now ... We have won all of the last five league meetings with them.
View attachment 10710
Their Season So Far stats highlight them as an up-and-down side rebuilding right now and getting used to their new manager ... ours show the genius at helm we are lucky to have and the incredible run we are on ... The Form Guide below does not include our latest game against Everton that finished just now.
EDIT: The stats below now include our latest win against Everton.
View attachment 10741
Master or Apprentice?
No longer is this a question ... it might still be used as a gimmicky tag-line by Sky or whoever broadcasts the games between the two clubs but this question has already been put to bed by Pep in recent ties.
When the two sides met for the first few times right after the departure of the apprentice, yes this was an interesting question ... and Arteta even made use of his inside knowledge of our boys in that FA Cup semi final last season ... but that was the end of it.
That day we were a little complacent being favourites ... and Arteta also used his insider knowledge of our players well ... but since then, it's been all Pep ... including the reverse fixture earlier in the season when we weren't in the best of form (mid October) but still won 1-0 and then later gave them a 4-1 thrashing in the quarter final of the Carabao Cup in December.
This reminds me of the COVID-19 outbreak in our squad that we allegedly caught at the hotel there when we had travelled for that very cup tie against them. I hope we're getting in and out this Sunday and not staying overnight ... Its a 4:30pm kickoff, can easily be done ... Fly privately in to any London Airport and back out after the game and send our own (disinfected and deep cleaned) bus down for airport transfers in advance.
European Competitions Return
The Champions League return for us next week, following this tie against Arsenal. While for them Europa League returns this week itself and they play the two legs of their Round of 32 tie around our game.
With the away games having moved out of Germany and Portugal, we will play Borussia Monchengladbach in Budapest (Hungary) instead and Arsenal will play Benfica in Rome (Italy).
These are their (and our) games around this tie:
Arsenal
Thu 18 - 8:00pm - Benfica (A) - EL
Sun 21 - 4:30pm - City (H) - PL
Thu 25 - 5:55pm - Benfica (H) - EL
Manchester City
Wed 17 - 8:15pm - Everton (A) - PL
Sun 21 - 4:30pm - Arsenal (A) - PL
Wed 24 - 8:00pm - Mönchengladbach (A) - CL
One might argue that we might have an eye on our upcoming Champions League tie but I think scheduling falls worse for them as they would have to travel to Italy and play on Thursday night there just before us on Sunday ... That I think would be a bigger distraction than it will be for us.
The little luck with scheduling continues for us as this will be third game in a row (after Spurs and Everton) that we'd have an extra day over our opponents to rest and recover before playing them.
Pre-Match Thoughts
Liverpool, Spurs and even Everton were bigger threats in this tough run of fixtures than Arsenal and we have passed all those tests with flying colours so I am not too worried about them next. I expect our excellent run of form to continue.
The only two tiny questions are of complacency setting in or if we would take the eye off the ball a bit with Champions League (knockout round) returning next week. But I guess Pep would keep at his one-game-at-a-time mantra and keep drilling that message to the boys as well. It is very rare that we see Pep allowing for either of those two to creep in.
For them, they have just returned to winning ways with a win over Leeds. Aubameyang has found some much needed goal scoring form, bagging his first hat-trick in the Premier League in their last game ... and then gone and gotten a new tattoo breaking any and all covid rules in the process ... so not too sure what frame of mind he will be in - buoyed by his hat-trick or depressed with the bad press the tat has gotten him afterwards.
As for the rest of Arsenal, that Leeds win has come after two away defeats (to Villa and Wolves) and with their Europa League game against Benfica being away as well is not going to be easy for them by any means. It might be worth keeping an eye on their game tomorrow (Thu/18th) night, in which I expect them to go strong. Winning Europa League outright is their only way into Champions League next season ... and with United, Tottenham and Leicester in it as well, I'd not mind Arteta winning that competition.
Match Prediction
Looking at how Pep’s rotating the centre-back pairing and his pre-Everton comments, Dias and Stones would be back next. So another clean sheet, and another win ...
Arsenal 0 - 2 Manchester City
Oh wait, Kev’s back ...
Arsenal 0 - 4 Manchester City
If I were you I would not expect that at all. So far this has been our (Benfica) worst season in 15 years, one of the worst in history. Watching that team play it’s just depressing, but it is football so who knows, everything can happen...Hoping for a hard game for them at Benfica tomorrow night.