Arsenal vs Manchester City: Aaron Ramsey gets the cape now

Arsenal will be starting the Manchester City match behind the eight-ball, but thanks to enigmas like Aaron Ramsey, they may find a superhero again.

Knowing that Arsenal will be without Sead Kolasinac is like a heavy weight fighter waking up the day of a big fight and being told he can only use one arm. It’s a bit intimidating and it’s going to require some serious heroics. That is, unless the Gunners can string together as a team like they did against Everton.

You never know which version of Arsenal is going to show up, and that’s why having a Plan B is never a bad thing.

In the past, Alexis Sanchez has been the Plan B. Just give him the ball and see if he can work things out. But you know what they say about the Gunners, you best have a Plan C as well, because nothing ever – ever – goes according to plan.

Thankfully, these days the Gunners have just that. They have Aaron Ramsey. It’s crazy to think of Ramsey as a secret weapon, but that’s really what he is, for multiple reasons.

For starters, his deep positioning allows him to sneak into attacking situations. With three world-class attackers taking up the front three, that occupies a lot of attention, needless to say. It allows Ramsey’s freedom to be even more potent when he slips in.

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That is what we should be looking for against Manchester City. If anything is a weakness for City, it’s their defense, which has proven to be unable to keep out attacks such as West Brom. Sure, they were slop goals and worthless in the grand scheme, but that’s the time when you can nick points away from City.

That’s also the time when Ramsey comes to life and is most deadly. The guy is an engine and when you get late in games, he hasn’t lost much of his pep. We saw it in multiple FA Cups. He has a knack for these big-time matches and an even bigger knack for turning the tide of said matches.

I’ve referenced “the cape” before, as in a player stepping up and being the hero. I usually give the cape to Mertesacker, because strong defense is needed more than anything. But for the match-up against City, I don’t see defense as the swing factor. Important? Absolutely. That’s why I think Mertesacker is key to keeping us in the match.

Next: 5 Key Players Against Manchester City

But winning the match? That falls on Ramsey and his ability to sneak points away late in games.

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