Arsenal: 5 Keys To Beating Manchester City

By Josh Sippie | Dec 19, 2015

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5. Sit Per Mertesacker

Am I really making this point for the fifth time this week? Yes. That is how pertinent it is. Per Mertesacker absolutely positively cannot stop the speed of Manchester City’s attack. Sergio Aguero made all the difference. Again, had Wilfried Bony still been in there, then by all means give Per the trot out. He can handle Bony.

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But he cannot handle Aguero. He is too fast and too technically gifted. He could quite literally run circles around Per Mertesacker and come back laughing about it. Laurent Koscielny is going to have his hands full if he has to cover for Mertesacker all day.

The solution is simple. Start Gabriel Paulista! Paulista is a mirror image of Laurent Koscielny, just without the experience. But I have seen him make goal-saving tackles on Romelu Lukaku and others that he could also put up against Manchester City in what figures to be an open game.

I do grow tired of beating my head against the “why won’t Wenger play Gabriel” wall. I’m bound to get a metaphorical concussion before too much longer.

So let’s move on to another City player that needs to be dismissed.

Next: 4. Flamini's Mission