Pain in the Arsenal
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Arsenal Vs Manchester City: 5 key players to watch – Defeating the best

By Andrew Dowdeswell

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 27: Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal during the UEFA Europa League round of 32 second leg match between Arsenal FC and Olympiacos FC at Emirates Stadium on February 27, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Chloe Knott - Danehouse/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 27: Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal during the UEFA Europa League round of 32 second leg match between Arsenal FC and Olympiacos FC at Emirates Stadium on February 27, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Chloe Knott - Danehouse/Getty Images) /
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Arsenal, Alexandre Lacazette
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 27: Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal during the UEFA Europa League round of 32 second leg match between Arsenal FC and Olympiacos FC at Emirates Stadium on February 27, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images) /

Arsenal travel to Manchester City on Wednesday night in what is one of the toughest games in world football. Here are five key players to watch as the Gunners look to defeat the best.

There might not be a more difficult challenge in world football than taking on Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. Only the inimitable, near-invincible Liverpool can hold a candle to City in recent years. But that is precisely the challenge that awaits Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal team. Arteta has inside knowledge, of course, and that will help, but as he said in his pre-match press conference, it will ultimately come down to the execution of the players on the pitch.

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With that in mind, here are five key players to watch when the Gunners take on City on Wednesday night.

LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 27: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Nicolas Pepe of Arsenal FC controls the ball during the UEFA Europa League round of 32 second leg match between Arsenal FC and Olympiacos FC at Emirates Stadium on February 27, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Roland Krivec/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 27: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Nicolas Pepe of Arsenal FC controls the ball during the UEFA Europa League round of 32 second leg match between Arsenal FC and Olympiacos FC at Emirates Stadium on February 27, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Roland Krivec/DeFodi Images via Getty Images) /

5. Nicolas Pepe

If you consider the defeats that Manchester City have suffered in recent years, it has often come at the hands of one individual producing a moment of insane quality. Put simply, City are so dominant that it often takes one individual player producing something from nothing to snatch that crucial goal — think Anthony Martial for Man. Utd, Andros Townsend for Crystal Palace or Jamie Vardy for Leicester City.

If there is one weakness in this current Arsenal team, it is that they do not have many match-winners. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a natural goalscorer, Alexandre Lacazette is a very capable centre-forward, but they both rely on at least some form of service to score goals and win games. But if there is one player who is a match-winner, it would be Nicolas Pepe.

Pepe has endured a wild season. There have been some outrageous moments, and there have been plenty of lacklustre performances, too. But he is capable of match-winning pieces of play. He can beat two defenders and crash a shot into the top corner. If Arsenal are to snatch the win against City, it might require a moment of stupendous play, and it might be Pepe who provides it.