Arsenal v Man City: Rodri's absence, inferiority complex, the title race | OneFootball

After duking it out for the title last season, Arsenal and Manchester City meet again on Sunday for the first time in the Premier League this term.

Are we looking at this season’s two main title contenders again? Arsenal fan and OneFootball editor Lewis Ambrose sat down with Manchester City fan and fellow OneFootball editor Dan Burke to preview a huge clash from the Emirates.

Dan Burke: Well, well, well Lewis, we meet again. The last time we had a conversation like this was just before City hosted Arsenal in what was effectively the title decider at the end of April. I’m sure you won’t thank me for reminding you that City won 4-1 that night. How are you expecting this weekend’s game to play out?

Lewis Ambrose: I didn’t need reminding but thanks anyway! Honestly, I don’t know. I think Arsenal have given as good as they have got the last two times they’ve hosted City even if they’ve lost both games and the hope is obviously that the Community Shield helped the team get a monkey off their collective back. Are you worried that City just haven’t clicked yet this season coming into this one or buoyed by the fact you could say the same about Arsenal?

Dan Burke: Aside from last week’s defeat at Wolves, I’ve been pleased with what I’ve seen from City this season. They’re top of the league having managed without key players like Kevin De Bruyne and John Stones due to injury, and the new signings all look like decent additions.

I’m more worried about Rodri’s absence and how City will cope without him this Sunday than anything. He has become so fundamental to how they play that they’ve almost forgotten how to play without him, as we saw in the Wolves defeat.

City were much better in the midweek Champions League win over RB Leipzig, and the brilliant Rico Lewis had a lot to do with that, so I’d expect him to start in midfield against Arsenal, probably alongside Mateo Kovačić, and the two of them will hopefully combine to essentially replicate Rodri’s job.

Why do you think Arsenal haven’t quite clicked yet this season, and how worried are you about Bukayo Saka probably missing Sunday’s game?

Lewis Ambrose: First you want to talk about last season, now you want to talk about Arsenal having to play without Bukayo Saka. I’m starting to feel like I’ve been set up.

At times last season I did feel like Rodri was even more irreplaceable than Haaland — City have dominated the league without the Norwegian after all — so his absence really does feel like a huge boost for Arsenal. Watching games this season, you get the sense Mikel Arteta maybe wants a bit more control from his team, more possession, more serenity in possession. It’s working OK but there is a certain threat that has been compromised.

To be fair, Gabriel Jesus is yet to start a Premier League game through the middle, that definitely doesn’t help. With Gabriel Martinelli out for the last few games and Saka now likely to be out, I just don’t think Arteta has been able to get his best attacking players on the pitch together at any point and that also hasn’t helped when it comes to bedding Kai Havertz in.

With Saka potentially out Arsenal lose their biggest difference maker and I also worry about the knock-on effect on Martin Ødegaard and Ben White on that right-hand side: even when Saka isn’t at his very best, he attracts so much attention and those two can have an impact instead. Who would be a bigger loss here — Saka or Rodri?

Dan Burke: It’s an interesting question because while I would feel much more confident about going to the Emirates with Rodri available, Pep Guardiola tends to be good at finding solutions to problems like this, and I’d back him to have a plan up his sleeve for Sunday. What I know for sure is that Kalvin Phillips isn’t the answer. Guardiola just doesn’t seem to trust him and I’d be surprised if he even came off the bench on Sunday. What City could really do with at times like this is a player like Declan Rice!

As for Saka, while I’m still really fearful about this game, I’ll be a lot less worried if he doesn’t play. Even in their recent victories in this fixture, City have found it difficult when Arsenal have turned up the heat, and Saka is the kind of player who gives opposing defenders something to think about in every second of every match. It will be interesting to see who, if anyone, steps up for Arsenal and takes on the responsibility of orchestrating the attacking third like Saka does.

I want to come back to something you said earlier, about Arsenal’s win in the Community Shield. Do you feel like they have suffered from an inferiority complex against City in recent years, and how much confidence will they take from that win at Wembley?

Lewis Ambrose: It’s hard not to think there’s been some form of inferiority complex. We’ve beaten 23 of the 24 teams we’ve faced in the Premier League under Mikel Arteta but we don’t have a single point against City in the seven games we’ve played since he took over. Now, obviously City have been the best team in the country in that time but that’s still a ridiculous return.

With the Community Shield, I think it’s easy to say it doesn’t matter when you lose but it’s also easy to think it does matter when you win it. It certainly can’t harm the team to go into this one with the feeling that they have finally got one over City the last time the two met!

Dan Burke: Well there won’t be a penalty shoot-out at the end of this game thankfully, and while I don’t think the result will be in any way decisive, I really think Arsenal need to end their run of 12 consecutive league defeats to City this weekend to give themselves a bit of belief in the title race. It should provide City with the perfect test of where they’re at right now too.

Let’s hope for a fantastic spectacle, no VAR controversy, and may the best team win.