Arsenal vs Manchester City: 5 key players to watch

2. Granit Xhaka

He’s back to making appearances on every single list I make, because obviously he has to be. In all seriousness though, he is going to have a big role to play against Manchester City. Not just because of who he is as an individual, or because of how fast Manchester City can strike, but because of the shambles of the midfield around him.

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Perhaps shambles is too strong of a word. But still, with Aaron Ramsey’s ongoing contract issues and his small calf problem, with Lucas Torreira joining the club just a week ago, and with Matteo Guendouzi potentially in line to start, there are a lot of question marks.

Granit Xhaka is not a question mark. He really and truly established himself last year, showing that he could be relied upon (mainly in the second half) to be a positive influencer, to handle possession with safety and reliability, and to stay home in his positioning, even if he wasn’t the best defender.

Having a reliable center to the formation could be crucial against City, especially with all the moving pieces around him, so Xhaka is going to be quite the key indeed.

Finally, at No. 1, let’s talk the biggest question mark of all.