At a Glance:
- Arsenal visit Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
- The Gunners desperately need to avoid defeat at the Etihad.
- Mikel Arteta should make a brave team selection decision ahead of the game.
Arsenal visit Manchester City on Sunday afternoon, and Mikel Arteta needs to make a bold team selection decision before this Premier League title showdown.
The Gunners have endured a difficult run since the international break, being dumped out of the FA Cup by Southampton, as well as losing at home to Bournemouth on Saturday. However, Arteta’s side did navigate their way to a Champions League semi-final in midweek by overcoming Sporting CP at the Emirates on Wednesday night.
There’s no doubting that the North Londoners will need to play significantly better at the Etihad if they are to emerge with the point they need in the context of the title race. Bukayo Saka faces an uphill battle to play any part in the clash in the north-west, although there is something besides reintroducing the winger that Arteta could do to reignite his flailing attack.
Kai Havertz made a huge difference off the bench against Sporting
For 56 minutes at the Emirates on Wednesday night, the ball wasn’t sticking up front when the Gunners went long. Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke, and particularly Viktor Gyokeres, weren’t able to retain possession in forward areas, and this meant that Arsenal weren’t able to sustain waves of attack.
Just before the hour mark, Gyokeres, who completed just five passes on the night, was replaced by Kai Havertz. The Germans’ introduction changed the trajectory of the night, as Arsenal found a way to control the game late on.
"What did Havertz do when he came on?"
— OryimanTheFirst⭐ (@sa7vad0r) April 15, 2026
"Everything Gyokeres wasn't." pic.twitter.com/ROeO2DcoGL
They may not have instantly clicked into gear as an attacking force, but they were able to keep the ball for long periods, with Havertz providing them with a reliable out ball, both from direct long passes and from intricate shorter passes.
The Gunners stepped up their control even more when the likes of Max Dowman, Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard were brought on. The three substitutes provided Arsenal with a level of technical security that hadn’t been on show with the trio that started the game up front for the North Londoners.
This ultimately helped reduce the nerves in the final 20 minutes, as Arteta’s team comfortably saw the game out.
Kai Havertz must start over Viktor Gyokeres against Man City
Gyokeres was a liability in possession for Arsenal against Sporting, and this should be enough for Arteta to make a change in the striker position for the visit to the Etihad.
Havertz showed when he came on against the Portuguese giants that his technical quality is needed for Arsenal to control a game. Against City, they’ll need a centre-forward who can provide a focal point and a target for David Raya’s long balls, and the former Chelsea star is certainly the man for this job.
Kai Havertz's late winner vs Sporting 🤩📊
— Prime Video Sport UK (@primevideosport) April 13, 2026
Watch Liverpool v PSG using Prime Vision tomorrow night to experience a data-driven game 👀 pic.twitter.com/ZAzg61Ztrn
Dropping Gyokeres may cause something of a stir given he is by far and away Arsenal’s top goalscorer this term, but the Swede has consistently struggled against the best teams and is starting to show signs of fatigue.
He’s now played over 3,000 minutes across all competitions, while Havertz should be significantly fresher. It should be a no-brainer for Arteta.
