BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 31: Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal celebrates with teammate Bukayo Saka after scoring the team's fourth goal during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal FC at American Express Community Stadium on December 31, 2022 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
How Arsenal can beat Manchester City without Saka or Martinelli
Havertz as a CF against City in the community shield final.
pic.twitter.com/z0Wjm6SIEU— tyga (@afctyga) October 5, 2023
3. Havertz at centre forward
Of course, if Partey starts, there will be no space for Kai Havertz in midfield. Instead, Arteta must start the German as the centre forward.
The Community Shield against City was by far the German’s best outing of the season. He held up the ball very well, got into excellent positions, and was generally a thorn in the side of the defence.
Pep’s men are likely to press high up, so Havertz’s aerial abilities will be very useful. He has been consistently class in this regard, and his hold-up play will be invaluable.
That then leaves Gabriel Jesus free to occupy the right win to replace Saka. He is the only player in the squad who is likely to match Saka’s impact: occupying the full-back and contributing to goals. Jesus didn’t have the most visible showing against AFC Bournemouth in the left winger position but he still played well and represents the least drop-off.
At left wing, Arteta could start either Reiss Nelson or Leandro Trossard. The Belgian offers more certainty of quality, but he was rusty in midweek. He still has a flash of quality in the final third which could lead to a goal or assist, and that makes him a worthy starter.
However, it could be a massive opportunity for Nelson to show what he’s made of. The English winger has not been given enough of a chance, and Arteta starting him would be a big show of faith that could really encourage Nelson. He may also be better at finding Havertz through the middle.
While neither option offers as much as Martinelli, who almost certainly won’t be available, they are the best alternatives.
With this line-up, Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe could be devastating from the bench. If the starters tire out the defenders, their relentless running could cause problems.
Overall, I believe that Arsenal have a great chance of beating their nemesis on Sunday, even without Saka and Martinelli. The Gunners will go into the game as underdogs, which should be a good thing for the young side.
#ARSMCI</a></p>
<p>— Premier League (@premierleague) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/10/06/how-arsenal-can-beat-manchester-city-without-saka-or-martinelli/3/"https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/1710257738423439826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>October 6, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
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<h2>How Arsenal can beat Manchester City without Saka or Martinelli</h2>
<p>There is hope that either winger might be able to start but even without those two players, Arsenal still have the tools to defeat the reigning champions, who will also not be at full strength. Here are three keys for the Gunners on Sunday.</p>
<h2>1. Winning the midfield battle</h2>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Four losses in eleven without their main man in midfield ❌</p>
<p>City's record with Rodri out of the starting XI makes for interesting reading 👀</p>
<p>Can Arsenal exploit his absence in one of the biggest games of the season? 🤔 <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/10/06/how-arsenal-can-beat-manchester-city-without-saka-or-martinelli/3/"https://t.co/ZHTSmSqadq">pic.twitter.com/ZHTSmSqadq
<p>— Sky Bet (@SkyBet) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/10/06/how-arsenal-can-beat-manchester-city-without-saka-or-martinelli/3/"https://twitter.com/SkyBet/status/1709940883335053458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>October 5, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>The massive positives from an Arsenal point of view are that Rodri and Kevin de Bruyne are unavailable for the Cityzens while Thomas Partey is now apparently match-fit.</p>
<p>As you can see from the statistics above, City are a completely different team without Rodri, losing more while conceding more goals. De Bruyne also seems to have a deep-seated hatred for Arsenal because he always shows up to thwart the Gunners.</p>
<p>Instead, City are set to line up with Mateo Kovačić and Matheus Nunes as the two anchors, with Julian Alvarez in the advanced midfield role. Rico Lewis or Kalvin Phillips could potentially start, too, but it seems that Kovačić-Nunes is currently Pep’s preferred midfield.</p>
<p>On the other hand, this is likely to be the first time that Arsenal will see a Rice-Odegaard-Partey midfield. That’s a midfield trio that is oozing with quality and that has the capacity to kill you with 1,000 passes.</p>
<p>In the last two games against Arsenal in the Premier League, Guardiola’s team was happy to soak up the pressure for the most part and then wreak havoc in transition. Against Partey and Xhaka and with Rodri and De Bruyne, that is a far more viable set-up than how the teams are likely to line up on Sunday.</p>
<p>Alvarez does have massive offensive abilities, primarily his incredible ball striking. The midfield will need to constantly close him down, but if Arsenal dominate possession, then the Argentine should be somewhat neutralised. On top of that, he contributes less defensively, giving Arsenal an extra man in midfield.</p>
<p>Arsenal must win the midfield duels, and the midfielders should be confident going into the game. That battle will tilt the game in the London team’s favour.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/10/06/how-arsenal-can-beat-manchester-city-without-saka-or-martinelli/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #2 key to an Arsenal victory vs City </a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">William Saliba on Gabriel Magalhaes and Ben White:</p>
<p>"They are so good, it’s easy to play with them. It gives me confidence. </p>
<p>Of course I am happy to play with them because they are really good defenders." [Express] <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/10/06/how-arsenal-can-beat-manchester-city-without-saka-or-martinelli/3/"https://t.co/W9DKxxetxZ">pic.twitter.com/W9DKxxetxZ
<p>— AfcVIP⁴⁹ (@VipArsenal) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/10/06/how-arsenal-can-beat-manchester-city-without-saka-or-martinelli/3/"https://twitter.com/VipArsenal/status/1710236432894230841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>October 6, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
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<h2>2. Defensive solidity and quality</h2>
<p>In defence, it seems likely that Mikel Arteta will pick the defence that did so well for him last season: Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Maghaeles and Oleksandr Zinchenko.</p>
<p>Erling Haaland is obviously a threat anytime he steps up on the pitch, but things haven’t been clicking quite as well this season, and he’ll be up against a centre-back pair that will be relishing the duel.</p>
<p>Craig Ballon Dawson showed in the Wolves game that it is possible to lock up Haaland. His performance was honestly one for the ages, and Saliba and Gabriel will know what they need to do thanks to the English defender.</p>
<p>Zinchenko picks himself, and he will be there to aid the midfield battle. With Rice and Partey alongside him, he should see plenty of the ball in the middle of the park. If those three can find the forwards between the lines, Arsenal will be able to inflict damage on the City backline.</p>
<p>Then, Takehiro Tomiyasu may be preferred to Ben White, but that would be a massive mistake, in my opinion. Jeremy Doku has shown his one-v-one ability this season, breezing past defenders with ease. That is probably White’s biggest weakness, so it may seem surprising that I recommend White so strongly.</p>
<p>However, <a title="Lens 2-1 Arsenal: Player ratings as Gunners falter in France" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/10/06/how-arsenal-can-beat-manchester-city-without-saka-or-martinelli/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/10/03/lens-2-1-arsenal-player-ratings/" rel="">Tomi was poor against Lens, </a>and White offers so much outside of the defensive right-back requirements. He slots in beautifully as a third centre-back, and no matter who the right winger is, he is necessary to unlock the best version of Martin Odegaard possible with his overlapping runs.</p>
<p>Arteta has tried to build a defensive fortress, and it should be full strength for the City game. Too often, individual errors lead to goals conceded by the Gunners. Avoid that, and there should be very few attacking chances for Haaland and Co.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/10/06/how-arsenal-can-beat-manchester-city-without-saka-or-martinelli/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #3 key to an Arsenal victory vs City </a>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Havertz as a CF against City in the community shield final. <br /> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/10/06/how-arsenal-can-beat-manchester-city-without-saka-or-martinelli/3/"https://t.co/z0Wjm6SIEU">pic.twitter.com/z0Wjm6SIEU
<p>— tyga (@afctyga) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/10/06/how-arsenal-can-beat-manchester-city-without-saka-or-martinelli/3/"https://twitter.com/afctyga/status/1709812502026953200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>October 5, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/10/06/how-arsenal-can-beat-manchester-city-without-saka-or-martinelli/3/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<h2>3. Havertz at centre forward</h2>
<p>Of course, if Partey starts, there will be no space for Kai Havertz in midfield. Instead, Arteta must start the German as the centre forward.</p>
<p>The Community Shield against City was by far the German’s best outing of the season. He held up the ball very well, got into excellent positions, and was generally a thorn in the side of the defence.</p>
<p>Pep’s men are likely to press high up, so Havertz’s aerial abilities will be very useful. He has been consistently class in this regard, and his hold-up play will be invaluable.</p>
<p>That then leaves Gabriel Jesus free to occupy the right win to replace Saka. He is the only player in the squad who is likely to match Saka’s impact: occupying the full-back and contributing to goals. Jesus didn’t have the most visible showing against AFC Bournemouth in the left winger position but he still played well and represents the least drop-off.</p>
<p>At left wing, Arteta could start either Reiss Nelson or Leandro Trossard. The Belgian offers more certainty of quality, but he was rusty in midweek. He still has a flash of quality in the final third which could lead to a goal or assist, and that makes him a worthy starter.</p>
<p>However, it could be a massive opportunity for Nelson to show what he’s made of. The English winger has not been given enough of a chance, and Arteta starting him would be a big show of faith that could really encourage Nelson. He may also be better at finding Havertz through the middle.</p>
<p>While neither option offers as much as Martinelli, who almost certainly won’t be available, they are the best alternatives.</p>
<p>With this line-up, Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe could be devastating from the bench. If the starters tire out the defenders, their relentless running could cause problems.</p>
<div class="embed ">
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<p>Overall, I believe that Arsenal have a great chance of beating their nemesis on Sunday, even without Saka and Martinelli. The Gunners will go into the game as underdogs, which should be a good thing for the young side.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">
