Arsenal vs Manchester City: team news, match details, key stats & predicted lineup

Arsenal will kick off the new year as they host league leaders Manchester City at the Emirates stadium.

The Gunners face a daunting task of putting a stop to Man City’s sizzling form on Saturday afternoon. The Citizens are on an outstanding winning streak of 10 Premier League games.

Arsenal on the other hand had won their last four League games while keeping three clean sheets in the process and could have won five in a row had the Wolves game gone ahead.

Team news

Arsenal will be without Calum Chambers, Cedric Soares and Takehiro Tomiyasu following positive COVID tests while Sead Kolasinac [ankle injury] remains ruled out.

Mikel Arteta having tested positive for COVID will miss Saturday’s match and will be replaced by assistant manager Albert Stuivenberg.

Predicted starting lineup

Ramsdale; White, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney; Xhaka, Partey; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Lacazette.

Key stats

Arsenal have lost their last nine Premier League games against Manchester City since a 2-2 draw in April 2017, it’s their longest ever losing run against an opponent in their league history.

Arsenal have only lost one of their last 10 Premier League games on New Year’s Day (W8 D1), going down 2-0 at Southampton in 2015. At home, the Gunners are unbeaten in 11 New Year’s Day games (W9 D2) since a 2-1 loss against Tottenham in 1985.