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Manchester City logo
Premier League | Gameweek 28
Jun 17, 2020 at 8.15pm UK
Etihad Stadium
Arsenal logo

Man City
3 - 0
Arsenal

Sterling (45+2'), De Bruyne (51' pen.), Foden (90+1')
Rodri (79')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Tierney (76')

How Manchester City could line up against Arsenal

Sports Mole looks at how Manchester City could line up for their first game back after the coronavirus pandemic as Arsenal visit the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City welcome Arsenal to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night as Premier League football returns after a 100-day hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Pep Guardiola's side resume the campaign a whopping 25 points adrift of leaders Liverpool, and defeat against Arsenal - now managed by Guardiola's former assistant Mikel Arteta - would hand the Reds the chance to win the title against Everton on Sunday.

Man City could prolong their wait with victory, though, as they look to get back to winning ways after defeat in the derby against Manchester United immediately prior to lockdown.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how the champions could line up for the contest.



Possible MNC XI vs. ARS

Out: None
Doubtful: Aymeric Laporte (unspecified), Leroy Sane (fitness)

> Click here for Man City's latest injury and suspension news ahead of this match

Guardiola is expected to have a full complement at his disposal on Wednesday, with the two injury doubts only very minor ones.

Leroy Sane has not featured since the Community Shield in August due to a serious knee ligament injury, but he was nearing his return before lockdown and has now fully recovered, with the exception of his inevitable lack of match fitness.

Every player could fall into that category after more than three months without a competitive match, though, which should help Sane to get up to everyone else's speed quicker than he otherwise might have.

Guardiola is unlikely to take any risks over the rumoured Bayern Munich target's fitness, though, particularly with Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva also competing for those wide positions.

Laporte missed a preparation match with an unspecified knock but he is also now back in training and is expected to be fully fit for Arsenal's visit.

The Frenchman remains the number one centre-back in the City pecking order, but it will be interesting to see who plays alongside him given that Fernandinho has filled in for much of the campaign in an unfamiliar position.

Further forward, Kevin De Bruyne will continue his quest to beat Thierry Henry's single-season assist record, while Sergio Aguero is expected to be preferred to Gabriel Jesus up front, if only for his record against Arsenal.

The Argentine has scored 11 goals in 15 meetings with the Gunners prior to Wednesday's showdown.

> Click here to see how Arsenal could line up for this match

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Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang pictured in February 2020
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