Team News: Mesut Ozil returns for Arsenal to face Manchester City

Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil has returned to the starting XI after a six-week absence for this afternoon's Premier League clash with top-four rivals Manchester City.

The German is one of three changes made by Arsene Wenger to the team that lost against West Bromwich Albion before the international break, with David Ospina and Francis Coquelin also coming into the side.

Petr Cech misses out with a calf injury, while there is no place for either Aaron Ramsey or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the squad.

Olivier Giroud, meanwhile, is forced to settle for a place on the bench once again as Danny Welbeck leads the line for the second match in a row.

The Gunners are looking to halt a run of four defeats in their last five league games, but they come up against a Man City side unbeaten in seven - their longest league run under Pep Guardiola.

The visitors suffered injury scares with Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling during the international break, but both have recovered sufficiently to start this afternoon.

Indeed, City make just one change to the team that drew with Liverpool last time out as Jesus Navas starts in place of Yaya Toure, who drops to the bench.

Arsenal: Ospina; Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Xhaka, Coquelin, Walcott, Ozil, Sanchez; Welbeck Subs: Martinez, Gibbs, Gabriel, Elneny, Maitland-Niles, Iwobi, Giroud

Manchester City: Caballero; Fernandinho, Stones, Otamendi, Clichy; Navas, De Bruyne, Silva, Sane; Sterling; Aguero Subs: Bravo, Kompany, Zabaleta, Nolito, Kolarov, Delph, Toure

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