Match Preview: Arsenal v Manchester City; 100% Needed from somewhere

Raise your hand if you think this March just sucks? It has hasn’t it? I loved where we were coming into this month and even though February wasn’t exactly ball-busters it wasn’t an abject failure either. Save for the Tottenham win, the FA Cup win and the respectability of the second leg at Bayern March has been a dismal month for us Arsenal supporters.

I guess that only makes it fitting that the month end with yet another monster-tie versus title favorites Manchester City. I mean if you really want to go out with a whimper then you couldn’t pick a better opponent could you.

Of course this sounds all dismally pessimistic. It’s been a pretty bad week. Sorry, the Swansea draw was a loss in my eye. That team never should’ve had a sniff and yet Arsenal were devoid of any of the verve that made the first half and then some of the season enjoyable. It doesn’t make the prospects of heading into this match any easier. Let’s put it that way.

We could all be surprised. Arsenal have been known to do that before. Just when you think they’re going to sink even more they pull off a performance that has lifting, rejuvenating effect. It builds the ever constant cycle of hope and despair we’ve gone through over the years.

Now, before anyone gets all upset that I am slamming Arsenal, I am still very optimistic about the near-term future of this club. The potential for immediate future success is immense. It has the ability to continue and sustain the upward trend we were so hopeful of this season when things were working so well.

But we have this season to get through and Arsenal need to go out and fight for their dear lives or all of what happened through mid-February will be all for naught.

The squad is threadbare with key players who’d make a positive influence on this match sit out. Still there are talented players in the squad that can make a difference. They question is will they and can they pull themselves up by the bootstraps and put on a worthy performance.

We’ve not done well at all against opponents in the top of the table. And when we concede against them it all goes down hill – immediately. The loss to Chelsea and Liverpool perfect examples of how the reaction to conceding effects the rest of the game.

City present a perplexing tie for Arsenal. They’ve been a beast for much of the season except early on their road trips seemed to raise a question mark as to whether or not they were ready to challenge for the title this season. They’ve sinced fixed that but with the likes of DiMichellis in the back 4 you know that if you work it right you are going to get a chance.

Additionally, they are without, to me the best forward in England (it’s bias against Suarez) in Sergio Aguero. I just love the way this guy plays and you know he is going to make you pay. He’s the more level-headed version of Tevez.

Still their riches afford them the ability to carry a full squad of reserves that many would love to have on their first team. It just means they can still punish you even when they are missing key cogs. Yes, I am jealous.

Arsenal need to come out and press the living daylights out of this game and force players into errors. While Samir Nasri is reborn under Pellegrini we know all too well that there are ways to get him off his game and part of that is pressuring him while he has the ball.

We will also need to make sure that Ya Ya Toure doesn’t have all day on the ball. He has scored some absolute beauties this season and a lot of the time when you watch it he is just given too much time and space. The minute he has the ball Flamini needs to close him down and harass him.

It’s only with an intense pressing game that Arsenal really are going to stand a chance. I just don’t think we can go toe-to-toe like we tried to do back at the Etihad. You remember that one – it was a game of “who’s defense is worse – mine or yours.”

I’m not so sure we’ll see such back and forth in this match. I think it’s more likely to be a little cagey – with Arsenal fully aware of what is at stake. A win puts them at least in the hunt and further solidifies their top 4 credentials for another year. Lose, and well even the bleakest of title hopes are done and we can begin to worry about the top 4 spot that is our bare minimum for measuring success.

Whatever the case Arsenal need to make a better showing of it than they have recently. The good thing for them is that they are the Emirates, a place that hasn’t seen much scoring. Arsenal have been mostly water tight at home with the 3 scored by Aston Villa they most they have allowed in a single game at the Emirates.

They can’t allow themselves to fall into the traps of the recent matches. You want and hope for them to come out and leave it all out on the pitch for 90+ minutes. If they do that and still falter then you can feel better. The worst part about the losses to Liverpool and Chelsea were that you knew there was better in the squad. You knew that they had it within themselves to do better than they did. That to me was what was disappointing. Point all the fingers you want at Arsene Wenger but in those matches the team simply did not show up. Neither of the squad is vastly superior to Arsenal. They had it within them to make a clearly better showing, they didn’t and that’s what hurt.

The simply cannot do that in this match. With so much at stake they have to find that place that allows them to take it up a notch. There are no excuses for abject failure and apologies from players don’t excuse them from their role in this slide. Simply put nothing short of 110% effort will be accepted tomorrow.

The thing is I know they’ve got it in them. Do they?

Probable Lineups:

Injuries and Suspensions:
 Arsenal: Walcott (knee), Koscielny (calf),  Özil (hamstring), Monreal (ankle), Ramsey (thigh), Wilshere (foot) Diaby (body cast)

Man City: Agüero (hamstring), Nastasic (knee), Richards (muscle)

Match Officials:
Referee: Mike Dean
Assistant Referees: Collin, Brooks
4th Official:  Friend

Head to Head:

Broadcast Information:
UK:  SkySports 1 17.30 GMT

US: NBC Sports Network 1:30 PM EST

YAMA Predictions:
Arsenal 1 – Man City 2

Match Facts (courtesy FourFourTwo)

• There have been six red cards in the last seven Barclays Premier League meetings between Man City (4) and Arsenal (2). Five of those have come in the last three meetings at the Emirates.
• Manchester City scored six goals from just seven shots on target when they beat Arsenal 6-3 at the Etihad Stadium last December.
• Arsenal have had draw/draw results in their last nine home draws against top-six teams
• There have been just four goals scored in the last five meetings in all competitions between Arsenal and Man City at the Emirates Stadium.
• Victory at the Emirates last season ended a run of 27 league games without a win for Man City away against Arsenal (D8 L19).
• Arsenal have had Under 2.5 goals in their last nine home matches against top-six teams
• Arsenal have won just three of their last nine Premier League games (W3 D3 L3), this after a run of five successive victories beforehand.
• Man City have converted the highest percentage of shots into goals of any team in the Premier League (20%).
• Man City have not had both teams scoring in their last six away matches against Arsenal
• Olivier Giroud has scored five goals in his last three games at the Emirates in all competitions.
• Manchester City have kept five consecutive clean sheets in the top-flight for the first time since 1915 and they have never kept six in a row in the top flight.
• Arsenal have conceded first in their last three matches against Man City
• Yaya Toure has scored 12 goals in his last 15 Premier League games.
• Edin Dzeko has scored six goals in his last seven Premier League starts for Manchester City.