Leroy Sane and Aymeric Laporte return after long-term injuries
Mikel Arteta will make a return to the Etihad as the Blues get their Premier League campaign back underway against Arsenal on Wednesday evening.
Pep Guardiola has been keen to say that his side are fully focused on the arrival of the Gunners, and the league in general, despite having very little to play for and FA Cup and Champions League fixtures looming.
City are being heavily tipped with most football predictions and bookies are pricing them at around 1/3 to take the win.
Bet & Skill have earmarked master to beat apprentice, with City having won five of their last six before the break, while also welcoming back Kevin De Bruyne and Aymeric Laporte, who had been a big loss for Guardiola’s side.
Both will play a big part in tomorrow’s fixture, and is perhaps why many punters are piling in with the bookmakers, particularly William Hill who are offering a special promotion of 25/1 on a home win!
Blues fans may also see a glimpse of Leroy Sane, who is returning to fitness following an injury that has kept him out for the entire season so far.
Arsenal will welcome back Kieran Tierney and Hector Bellerin according to reports, which will provide a boost for Arteta’s men, particularly as they continue to develop a style highly influenced by Guardiola.
Since the former Manchester City assistant joined the Gunners, the early signs have been promising and they began to produce a string of good results before the season came to a halt.
If they can pick up that form once again, it could provide a tricky tie for City, who weren’t exactly full of confidence in their loss to Manchester United last time out.
What can be almost guaranteed is two teams playing a similar style, and it will be interesting to see whether they cancel each other out in what is already a game with so much uncertainty around it.
City won the first game between the pair this season 3-0, but Arsenal have drawn their last five away from home, and there will undoubtedly be some players a bit rusty following the lockdown.
Who will win will depend on who has reacted best and kept themselves fittest during the break. For City, despite what Pep says, you get the impression half an eye will be on the Champions League, with news on its resumption imminent.
Games are coming thick and fast, and the Premier League could almost act as preparation for a proposed last eight tournament in the competition. That could give Arsenal the edge, although Pep may feel the need to show the new Gunners boss a thing or two.
Whatever happens on Wednesday night though, it’s a new era for football and whether it be for the next month or into the next season, a completely new way of watching City. Let’s just hope the Blue boys can get through without the faithful behind them at the Etihad.