The injury list makes for grim reading though. Arsenal will be without Bukayo Saka, while Noni Madueke, Jurrien Timber, Martin Odegaard and Riccardo Calafiori are doubts. Mikel Merino is ruled out. Four key players potentially missing against a City side hitting form at the worst possible time for us.
The Gunners’ springtime hoodoo was well and truly alive against Bournemouth last Saturday lunchtime, when Eli Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott struck either side of a Viktor Gyokeres spot kick to propel the Cherries to a deserved 2-1 triumph. That defeat highlighted our April struggles – Arteta’s Arsenal boast a paltry 42.3% win rate and 1.54 points per game in the Premier League in April since the Spaniard took over.
City, conversely, are peaking at precisely the right moment. Man City boast a better win rate (79.5%) and points-per-game ratio (2.51) in April than any other month. Since the start of February, no City player has scored more goals in all competitions than Nico O’Reilly (6), who netted both goals in their 2-0 League Cup final win over us last month.
There’s hope though. Arsenal have strung together a praiseworthy five-match unbeaten sequence against Man City in the top flight, after suffering a harrowing 12 straight defeats. A point wouldn’t be disaster given our lead, but we need to show we can handle the pressure when it matters most.
Meanwhile, transfer speculation continues around Bradley Barcola. “Negotiations for the contract extension between Bradley Barcola and PSG remain complicated,” reports suggest, with Arsenal the preferred destination in the event of a departure. The French winger could be available this summer if he continues seeking regular first-team football.