At a Glance:
- Manchester City and Arsenal will go toe-to-toe in the Premier League on Sunday.
- One Arsenal player was embarrassed after the Carabao Cup final by a Manchester City player.
- Mikel Arteta’s key man must be more motivated than ever to step up to the plate.
Arsenal’s trip to the Etihad Stadium will be a true test of their character as Manchester City have pipped them to two Premier League titles since 2022.
The last time these two sides locked horns in a game with similar stakes, City demolished the Gunners at home 4-1 and put the title race to bed.
Fortunately for Arsenal, Kevin De Bruyne, who scored a brace and assisted John Stones’ headed goal bid farewell to English football last summer to sign for Napoli.
With pundits like Paul Scholes expecting Manchester City to beat Arsenal with ease, the Gunners must embrace the golden opportunity to disprove the retired midfielder and make a statement this weekend.
Piero Hincapie must be raring to redeem himself vs Man City after Antoine Semenyo jab
Left-back Piero Hincapie looks set to face Manchester City from the off and he in particular should have revenge on his mind, considering Antoine Semenyo took a jab at him after the Carabao Cup final.
Semenyo caused Hincapie a world of problems from the right-wing and after City’s 2-0 win, he openly admitted to have given the defender a runaround on Sky Sports: “I just have that freedom to do what I want [as a right-winger], get at defenders and cause problems. And that’s what I did today, had Hincapie running around a little bit.”
Arsenal legend Ian Wright could not help but agree with the Ghanaian international, as he replied: “You had him on his hind legs, bro!”
Semenyo has emerged as one of Manchester City’s most important players since joining the club in January and in the past three games, Pep Guardiola has deployed him on the right-wing.
With Hincapie being an experienced defender with esteemed accolades to his name such as the Bundesliga title and the DFL-Pokal Cup, he should be on a mission to keep the City forward quiet.
While Semenyo’s statement was merely a cheeky shot at the Ecuadorian, it was the truth and for his and Arsenal’s sake, the 24-year-old must rise to the occasion.
| Piero Hincapie’s stats in the Carabao Cup final | |
| Dribbled past | 1 |
| Duels won | 2/6 |
| Tackles won | 1/2 |
Mikel Arteta lit a fire at London Colney to gee his players up recently but Hincapie will need no extra motivation, also considering Semenyo is one of Manchester City’s most dangerous players.
Piero Hincapie could struggle during Man City vs Arsenal
Whoever Arsenal start on the left-wing would have no choice but to track back against City as it is likely that Rayan Cherki could provide an overload on the right flank alongside the winger.
Even so, the prospect of keeping Cherki and Semenyo quiet when they tend to play in close proximity would be a mountain to climb for Hincapie.
Mikel Arteta must find a way to ensure that Arsenal’s left-hand side is not breached in the manner it was during the Carabao Cup final.
