Manchester City Starting XI: We predict Pep Guardiola’s starting team as they travel down to the Capital to face Arsenal in the FA Cup semi finals
Pep's city are on a roll.
Manchester City Starting XI: We predict Pep Guardiola’s starting team as they travel down to the Capital to face Arsenal in the FA Cup semi finals.
Manager Guardiola will be full of confidence going into this game, as City have always come out of top against Arsenal in recent matches.
That being said, history has a funny way of repeating itself and the last time the Citizens lost to Arsenal was in 2017 in this very competition.
City still have the chance of winning three trophies this season, so the whole squad will see this game as a huge opportunity to enjoy more success in a Sky Blues shirt.
Like all teams of late, Guardiola’s team have played a lot of games in a short space of time, so the Spaniard will have to be careful with his team selection.
So which players will be tasked with the challenge of overcoming the Gunners tonight? Here we predict Guardiola’s XI…
Goalkeeper: We believe Pep will keep his promise and name second choice goalkeeper Claudio Bravo between the sticks as he so often does in cup competitions.
Defenders: It’s difficult to predict City’s back four as it seems to rotate from game to game. However, we believe Guardiola will look to name his strongest defence with Aymeric Laporte partnering Nicolas Otamendi at the heart of defence. England international Kyle Walker at right back and Benjamin Mendy operating from the opposite side. Meaning John Stones will find himself back on the City bench.
Midfielders: City have arguably the best midfield in the English game and we expect to see all the big guns on show tonight. Club talisman Kevin de Bruyne will be the first name on the team sheet and we expect to see Rodri to sit in the holding position to try and stop Arsenal counter-attacks. That leaves Germany international Ilkay Gundogan to make up the midfield trio.
Forwards: With club legend Sergio Aguero out for the rest of the season, that puts pressure on Gabriel Jesus to do the business in the lone front role. But he will have the support of Raheem Sterling and Riyhad Mahrez who have both been in top form in recent matches.
Predicted XI: Ederson, Walker, Otamendi, Laporte, Mendy, Rodri, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Mahrez, Sterling, Jesus