Surely two Manchester City players played their way into today’s starting lineup against Real Madrid? | OneFootball

Manchester City have the attacking weapons to unlock Arsenal’s defence today at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final. Mikel Arteta’s side is a strong defensive unit, but there is enough quality in the final third in the City squad to prove to be a decisive factor in today’s match. What is up for discussion is who Pep Guardiola will decide to start in his attack today against Arsenal. It would be a major shock if Erling Haaland didn’t start today’s match. If Haaland does start, who starts on the left and right wing either side of Haaland isn’t a straightforward decision. Having said that, Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku may played their way into City’s starting lineup based on how they played against Real Madrid.

Starting Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki with Erling Haaland may be the best attacking option for Manchester City at Wembley.

Pep Guardiola has rotated his attacking options over the past month or so. Erling Haaland, Omar Marmoush, Antoine Semenyo, Savinho, Jeremy Doku, and Rayan Cherki have rotated through Manchester City’s front line. Finding a consistent starting attack hasn’t been straightforward for Manchester City. Erling Haaland hasn’t been at his best; injuries have hit Jeremy Doku and Savinho; Omar Marmoush has been hot and cold when he has played; Rayan Cherki has predominantly been used as a substitute, and Antoine Semenyo has played in nearly every attacking role possible for Manchester City.

Finding consistency up front hasn’t been straightforward for Pep Guardiola. Against Real Madrid, Pep Guardiola selected Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki, and Jeremy Doku up front. Those three players all did their job, and their games do mesh well together. Manchester City needs to unlock a tough Arsenal defence today at Wembley to have any chance of lifting the Carabao Cup. Haaland, Cherki, and Doku do seem to be City’s best attacking lineup today.

Arsenal are a tough defensive nut to crack but Haaland, Doku and Cherki seem to be more than capable.

An undoubted strength of Arsenal is their defence. Mikel Arteta’s side has built their side around their defence. Breaking them down is no easy task. By starting Haaland, Cherki and Doku it does give Manchester City a variety of options to break down Mikel Arteta’s side. Especially when you add overlapping full-backs and perhaps the attacking runs from Nico O’Reilly for example into the equation.

Erling Haaland needs service to thrive. Cherki and Doku can provide that, albeit in different ways. Jeremy Doku would likely start on the left wing, where his pace and dribbling will give Arsenal something to think about, as will his ability to drift centrally. Rayan Cherki is a supreme playmaker, and his ability to challenge Arsenal in a variety of ways could give Mikel Arteta’s side a major headache. Then there’s Erling Haaland, who will give the Arsenal defence a tough time, as he typically does.

Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, and Rayan Cherki do seem to be Manchester City’s best attacking lineup for today’s Carabao Cup final against Arsenal. The trio complement each other, and given the headaches they could cause Mikel Arteta’s side, they should start at Wembley.