Arsenal vs Manchester City: 5 key players to watch

Arsenal begin the season with a serious litmus test against Premier League champ Manchester City. Here are five key players they’ll need.

Arsenal’s season opener is right around the corner and, for all the nerves and indigestion floating around from having to face Manchester City, there is just as much, if not more, optimism that this club finally has righted the ship.

No matter what happens at Manchester City, we won’t be able to conclusively deduce one way or the other what the case may be, but it should give us a good indication of what Unai Emery is setting up for the rest of the year.

And, of course, it will be our first chance to see so many crucial players in actual competitive action. Which is what I am here to talk to you about today – the five key players that the Gunners will need to show up to have a happy opener.

You could really pick any player in the first team and make a case for them here, but I’ve picked the five most important. We will start with No. 5.

5. Mesut Ozil

Honestly, I’m not all that concerned with Mesut Ozil, which is why he falls so far down on this list. He has been here before, he has shown up sometimes and not in others, he is capable of absolutely anything. These are all the things we know about the German maestro.

But he is on the list specifically because of the things he can do. If he is at his best, there is no stopping him. You can outwork him all you want, that still won’t negate him. The important thing is that you can’t outsmart him. That is where he can shine.

With the drama of the World Cup behind him, Ozil should be looking to push on to greener pastures, and I would hope that involves sticking it to Manchester City on the back of their remarkable season.

On the ultra-bright side, the club is actually so deep these days that if it doesn’t pan out, there are other options in behind him. Still, I’d actually expect him to be at his best.

Moving on to No. 4.