Pep Guardiola has already provided a major hint at how he could set up for the midweek Premier League clash against Arsenal.
The top two sides in the division meet on Wednesday in a game that will undoubtedly have a huge bearing on the title race, with Arsenal currently five points clear in first place. However, Manchester City have two games in hand which means the title is still very much in their hands.
A draw would suit City, but Guardiola is unlikely to settle for a point with the opportunity to land a knockout blow in the champions’ hands.
The Blues come into the game on the back of Saturday’s FA Cup win over Sheffield United, with Riyad Mahrez netting a hat-trick in a 3-0 victory at Wembley, to bring him up to 15 goals for the season. Guardiola said after the match that the Algerian winger is ‘grumpy’ when dropped from the team, but that seems like a real possibility for the Arsenal encounter.
Mahrez was the only attacking player who completed 90 minutes on Saturday, while Guardiola dropped the former Leicester City man in both of the recent matches against Bayern Munich. In another high-profile contest, there’s every chance he’ll start with Bernardo Silva at right wing again, as he did in the Champions League quarter-final ties.
Meanwhile, Ederson, Ruben Dias, John Stones, Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne should be fresh after sitting out the FA Cup semi-final, while Ilkay Gundogan, Silva, Jack Grealish and Julian Alvarez were replaced in the second half.
City’s only injury concern is Nathan Ake, who is expected to miss out due to a hamstring injury. Here’s how we think City will line-up…
1. GK: Ederson
Hasn’t kept a clean sheet in his last three league matches, something the goalkeeper will want to put right this weekend.
2. CB: Manuel Akanji
Will start in the middle but push out right when City lose possession.
3. CB: Ruben Dias
Given a rare game off at the weekend and should start against the Gunners.
4. CB: Aymeric Laporte
Seems like the most obvious choice to replace Ake in the team.