Arsenal vs Manchester City predicted XI: Alright then, we’re back

Arsenal football is back this week, and it’s time to predict a starting XI for the first time in months. Here’s how they’ll line up against Manchester City.

Arsenal has been back in training for a couple of weeks now as the restart of the Premier League season nears, and with the return to action against Manchester City looming, it’s time to jump back into the trenches and start thinking about how Mikel Arteta could line up with nearly a full complement of healthy players at his disposal.

Of course, with so much time between now and the previous match, there is no such thing as momentum or good form. Essentially, this match should be treated like the start of a new season, albeit with a clear and palpable objective in mind and much less time to achieve that objective.

As it stands, the Gunners sit just five points out of what might be a guaranteed Champions League spot in fifth place. And they have a game in hand, so if they are able to take the full three points against City, they will leap to just two points back from United, well within striking distance for the rest of the season.

Here’s how Arsenal should line up vs Manchester City

Of course, it is against City. So it’s not like this will be a walk in the park but, worst-case scenario, we lose. We’re still just five points out. That can turn around really quickly, especially with nothing being guaranteed with this restart. All kinds of things could change.

As if this season hadn’t been unpredictable enough as it is. One would think that this is Arteta’s time to shine. To stick it to his former mentor and help Arsenal rise to the occasion and claim this opportunity as their own. But it’s Arsenal, so you just never know.

With just Calum Chambers still on the injury list, let’s dig into how Arteta will probably line up. It figures to be his usual 4-2-3-1. We start in goal.

Keeper

I’m still giddy every time I get to predict Bernd Leno in goal. He is our player of the season by a long shot and if we give him the right kind of support, he can bring us some serious silverware. Let’s do something special here.

On to the centerbacks.