Evening Standard
·22 September 2024
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·22 September 2024
Mikel Arteta has some key decisions to make with no Martin Odegaard for Etihad Stadium showdown
Arsenal will again have to make do without Martin Odegaard for their showdown with Manchester City.
Odegaard is out for the foreseeable future with the ankle injury he sustained playing for Norway and his absence leaves Mikel Arteta with some big calls over his team selection at the Etihad.
Arsenal have lacked creativity without Odegaard against Tottenham and Atalanta, and Arteta faces a dilemma about the make-up of his midfield and attack.
The Gunners welcome back Declan Rice in the Premier League after he was suspended for last weekend’s 1-0 win at Spurs.
Kai Havertz played in midfield in place of Odegaard against Atalanta in the Champions League on Thursday and is likely to operate there again against City.
Thomas Partey is likely to play alongside Rice and Havertz in midfield but he struggled against Atalanta and was hooked at half-time for Jorginho.
Leandro Trossard could lead the line after Gabriel Jesus had a difficult night on Thursday.
The defence is expected to be unchanged for the fifth game in row after keeping yet another clean sheet in Italy.
Mikel Merino, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney are all out injured.
Predicted Arsenal XI (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Havertz, Partey, Rice; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
Doubts: None
Injured: Merino (shoulder), Odegaard (ankle), Tierney (hamstring), Tomiyasu (knee), Zinchenko (calf)
Venue: Etihad Stadium
Referee: Michael Oliver
Arsenal squad from: Neto, Raya; Calafiori, Gabriel, Heaven, Kiwior, Saliba, Timber, White; Havertz, Jorginho, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri, Partey, Rice; Jesus, Martinelli, Saka, Sterling and Trossard
TV channel and live stream: Sky Sports
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