'It feels like a must-not-lose'
- Published
Harry Symeou, The Chronicles of a Gooner, external
Having won so comfortably at Bournemouth last weekend and upon learning of Rodri's suspension, Arsenal fans would have been forgiven for starting to believe this weekend's clash at Emirates Stadium would provide the perfect opportunity to finally overcome a Manchester City side they've struggled against for a number of years.
It's fair to say however, a midweek defeat in Lens and the fact Bukayo Saka limped off injured for the third successive fixture has gone some way in reducing the optimism among the Gunners' faithful. Gareth Southgate named the winger in his England squad for the upcoming fixtures versus Australia and Italy but that doesn't necessarily mean the 22-year-old will be available again as early as this Sunday.
Without him, Arteta has some tough decisions to make. It's clear that Fabio Vieira is not a like-for-like replacement and it's fair to say the likes of Leandro Trossard and Reiss Nelson are far more effective when operating from the left side. Questions remain over the fitness of Gabriel Martinelli - who didn't feature in the Champions League - and the Brazilian's continued absence would only increase the problems for Arsenal in attack.
Arteta could well deploy Gabriel Jesus wide, entrusting Eddie Nketiah through the middle in order to compensate for the potential absence of two star wingers, but I'm not sure that's the way to go. Jesus' ability to lead the press and link up play centrally has been key to Arsenal's improvement in the past year and so removing him from that position always feels counter-productive.
Every fixture between title contenders carries weight and is of huge significance. It's too early in the season to label this as a 'must-win' for the Gunners. If anything, it feels like a 'must-not-lose' because more than anything, Arsenal can ill afford to be on the receiving end of another psychological blow from the side they're hoping to leapfrog at the top of the division.
