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da bet sport： Arsenal travel to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon to take on the reigning Premier League champions, Manchester City.
Unai Emery’s side were unconvincing in their 2-1 win over newly-promoted Cardiff City last time out and will have to put in a much improved performance to stand any chance of securing a positive result against Pep Guardiola’s side.
Emery’s team selection and tactical setup must be spot on if the Gunners are to return to the Emirates Stadium with any points in tow.
Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…
On the chalkboard
Mesut Ozil started against Cardiff in midweek, and whilst he wasn’t dreadful by any means, the German playmaker did little to suggest he ought to retain his place in the starting XI for such a big game.
The 92-cap Germany international clearly doesn’t have Emery’s full trust, evidenced by the fact he has only made fourteen league appearances so far this season, as per Transfermarkt’s stats.
As talented as the 30-year-old undoubtedly is, he does not suit the system that Emery prefers and which Arsenal must execute perfectly against Manchester City.
A chink in the armour
The Spanish coach will want his team to press City aggressively, relentlessly and high up the pitch. He expects every member of his team to cover plenty of ground and stick quite rigidly to the tactical system that has been decided upon.
So far this season, Ozil has failed to demonstrate that he has the defensive discipline and awareness required to thrive in this setup.
Manchester City will exploit any weaknesses in Arsenal’s game, and despite all his ability, Ozil’s struggles to effectively defend from the front over the course of 90 minutes make him the kind of frailty the Gunners must be without.