Manchester City v. Arsenal: Which battles will decide winner? | Pro Soccer Talk | NBC Sports

Is there an advantage? If there is, it is for health in health. uh questions around Man City because if everyone is healthy and going head to head, this is just an attempt to use the correct term. That's not too bloody, it's a fight, it's a street fight, yes it really is, and Andy I think when we look at the midfield, Geor probably holds the key to controlling this game, potentially if he starts for Arsenal, his experience along with Odard. and Rice against Rodri and then maybe it's Kovic if Jon Stones is out as that seems likely.

That gives Arsenal the advantage in midfield and in this game, the man could go either way. I guess that depends on how you feel. Georgino, right, because there are two, there are two very different Georgino camps, there are a lot of professional Georgino people, Chelsea fans used to be among them, Arsenal fans are among them now, he is an acquired taste. I think as a player he does a handful of things incredibly well, he maintains that control, he keeps the ball moving and he takes charge. I have some questions about his defensive work and if City are playing in the middle of the field, you know, it can become a Turn Style.

A little bit there and so it goes both ways. I mean, he's got the big AG forward next to him, although Dean Rice is as good as he's been this season and I think that's at least when it comes to midfield. battle specifically, I think that's what and I know Rod is on the other side, but I'd pick Rice Georgino over Rodri, probably anyone else who's GNA plays in that apart from Jon Stones apart from anyone else that he is going to play in that position. for City and therefore the midfield battle,

which

is, I mean, is always what we come back to in these big games,

will

be resolved in the middle of the field, I think it leans a little bit towards Arsenal, um and just the confidence that they seem to have been playing with in recent weeks I don't think can be ruled out and I think there has been enough uncertainty or it's just been a bit lacking in City's performances lately.

Maybe I could make them question it a little bit and give Arsenal maybe even the mental, the psychological, uh, slight, very, slight. Advantage going into this, yeah, I mean, Declan Rice is the reason for me, one of the main reasons why Arsenal have closed this gap. to City for the last six to eight months. I've always been a big fan of him. I am delighted that he has been named England Captain for their friendly against Belgium in the international break. He

will

be the future England Captain when Harry Kane retires. In my opinion, he is the new heartbeat of this Arsenal team that makes it tick and he does so many things that go unnoticed during the game that you really can't find many players like that anymore who are so selfless and fair. make every player around him better, so yes, him and Rodri.

I love watching them play. He was out with an injury and we saw how important he was for Arsenal down the stretch, so the fact that he's back took care of Harland earlier in the season and that one-nil win for Arsenal in the Premier League, I mean, he can drive to Holland again, do you think? Can, um, I worry that when players go against Earling Holland, um, he's manageable for sure if you're willing to have blind spots to what's going on around you and I think that's where we used to see this quite often. Zlatan too, not to make the same comparison, they are different players, but so much attention is focused on Zlatan that you miss what's going on around him and the way I'll just take out a player the way Phil Foden has looked. lately and how fast he is, I think if Caliba starts to see this as a One V One matchup, I think it's a win for Man City, excuse me, yes I do because obviously Gabrielle had an injury and didn't play for Brazil so seems.

He will be fit, but as a duo it took all his and N's strength to beat Harland earlier in the season, so I think that's probably the key for me, that as a couple Cela and Gabrielle have been excellent for the most part. part. this season, but Harland is true, we've seen him this season, he's been a little more rusty, not as clinical, some of the bigger ladies have missed and missed opportunities that we've seen recently, but he's still Earling Harland, he still does. they are going to get a lot of opportunities for him and I wonder if City will do what they did against Arsenal in the spring of last year, where they were so direct against Arsenal, where they obviously dragged the defenders up and I think if Civ is there, he can handle that and Gabrielle can cover and that's fine, so I think City will have to beat Arsenal a little bit differently this time, whether it's foden doku on the outside and really focusing on those areas and another key battle.

Andy focuses on Foden vs Gio, obviously Gi has been brilliant recently so Foden. I wonder if Foden's strengths just match up and give him a much bigger advantage against Kio, maybe if Cenko could come in due to Phil Foden's knowledge of him, but. so defensively Gior is better than Zenchenko, but Zenchenko is clearly better in possession and advancing in those areas, so I'm wondering what you think about that particular U battle. What I think about that actually depends on what Pep does on the bottom line. You mentioned earlier this week Joe, um, in a recent game between these teams, Pep dropped back four, you know, unexpectedly, I might have to do that again because I'm looking, so we've

talk

ed about injuries to the backline, um and the fact.

which

is a kanji and Walker, the two players on the right side, so you have Rubén Díaz on the bench, he can come in and he has played a lot this season, okay, the other center back, the other, you know, the real defender in the bench is Yosco.

Vardal and he is very much a left-sided player. I guess he's been a disappointment this season after the fee paid for him didn't play as much as expected, so either Pep will play at full-back. three with someone playing on an awkward or unfamiliar side or he'll have to go to a back four, bring in Rico Lewis probably at right back and that completely changes how the battle will play out, whether it's Kibor or Ceno I. I think Artetta obviously will take that into account when deciding Kor, there are so many dominoes in this game and I think Nick made a great point as these two teams because of the coaches, because the players are incredibly similar, it's like I know they're looking at each other each other in a mirror, so it's just tactical.

I wonder what's going through those two guys' heads right now. Pep and Artetta, moreover, know each other as close as they are, as close as their similar philosophies align. and how they're preparing for this game to play each other in this one like that's the battle that's already being fought and then obviously we have the game on Sunday so yeah, this is to answer. your question I think Phil Foden has a great game in this one because he's been in incredible form, not just this season but especially lately and it seems like he's finally being given the freedom or responsibility to move up to the next level.

I think that's what many people have expected from him for two, three or four years. Yes, you mentioned someone there. Rico Lewis could be a good choice in terms of the role of Jon Stones. He seems like someone who could play that role. but he hasn't played much recently, maybe a bit of a drop in form for him, a bit of a slump for him in his second year as Man City's first player, but we'll have to wait and see how they line up there, something else. I want to point out Kai Havitz, if it's Rubén Díaz who maybe runs into his movement because of the way he opens up spaces.

I feel like that could be huge in this game in terms of getting City's defenders out of positions they like. Being inside they like to step up but H is very difficult to score in those areas and it just opens up spaces for Card Odard and others and Nick, go ahead man no Joe I think you put together the last two points I've made is maybe the most interesting one for me, which is Gardio, uh, this is a player that I think played almost. I mean, obviously he's very versatile, but he came here as a center back.

Many of us might have thought he would be gone. taking Rubén Díaz's place and then the idea that they are both maybe twin towers, eh, that might not mean saving the three in the back, but it allows you to be a little freer with the guy on the right, so maybe. That answers both questions because Kai H will have a lot of those are two big guys in Diaz Environ, yeah, and they've both been off the team recently. I'm not exactly thrilled about it, so this is a great opportunity. to potentially come back and be big players in this double treble that Manchester City have in the final months of the season, so head over to the pro

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.com, we've got planned lineups, team news, how to watch . information about this massive game in the race for the Premier League title the race is here man

city

against Arsenal so little between these two teams they know each other inside out from the coaches players tactics whatever this is going to be fun this weekend Can't wait Hello, I'm the Rebecca Lo Studio presenter for NBC's coverage of the Premier League.

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