How to Beat Manchester City

The last game in which Manchester City dropped points was a 1-1 to West Brom on the 16th of December. The last time they lost was 2-0 to Tottenham… on the 22nd of November. We are going to need a bit more than luck to pull out a result here.

Number 1 – repeat history

This is easier said than done. Under Arteta, the Gunners haven’t had the worst record against City, including the FA Cup semi-final win last season. In terms of Pep himself, his 3rd highest (Bayern – 12 wins) and 2nd highest (Bayern – 13 wins) win streaks have both been ended by Arsenal. His highest win streak is currently underway at Manchester City… so why not break it one more time?

Number 2 – field a strong team

It’s as simple as this – if Arteta puts out anything but our best line-up, the match will be over before a ball has been kicked. His recent lineup consists of a sturdy back line (Leno, Cedric, Luiz, Gabriel, Bellerin), a solid midfield (Xhaka, Ceballos) and a prolific attack (Smith-Rowe, Odegaard, Saka, Aubameyang). My preferred lineup for this upcoming fixture would feature a minor tweak:

Number 3 explains why.

Number 3 – counter attack

Manchester City have found great and repeated success in the way they attack with possession. They overload the defence and play intricate passes in and around the box in order to get a shot off. Something that goes more so unnoticed however is the defence’s behaviour in attack.

As City attack, their full backs (Cancelo and Walker) tuck into the positioning of a pair of CDMs, in order to compensate for the attacking commitment of the rest of the team. This is exactly the reason I want Pepe in at LM over Smith-Rowe: pace. Possibly Arsenal’s best chance of effective attacking is to burst down the wings on the counter attacks. If this means that Aubameyang puts in a shift at LM, Pepe at RM and Lacazette at ST, so be it. With exposed wings such as City’s a ball in behind or into space to an oncoming Pepe or Saka would prove highly dangerous and open the door for a square ball, or even to shoot themselves.

Number 4 – play well

Also easier said then done. But if you don’t play well, you don’t leave with a result. Arsenal need to hold possession, defend well and most importantly, finish any chances.

Do you think Arsenal could snap Pep Guardiola’s unbeaten streak once more?