Sunday 19 April 2026 City of Manchester Stadium USA TV: NBC/Peacock 11:30am ET There are a ton of details to think about and possibly debate about this match, not least of which who actually can be on the pitch. But for the past week what's been popping into my head is this seminal, pivotal match from 11 years ago: After years of being dominated by Citeh, especially at Eastlands, Wenger traveled north as underdog, but with a different, surprising gameplan. Plus a collective can-do attitude. And we turned the tide. Notable that our 2 goals were by PK and FK, and with my boy Santi featuring in both. Set Piece FC Ole Ole. But in any case... Perhaps Mikel and staff can produce something similarly novel Sunday. And perhaps whatever XI he puts out to execute that gameplan, they'll take confidence from the position we hold, both domestically and continentally, to play with true belief, to get a result. Both coaches and players should treat this game like it's a cup final, or like it's the final game in the league, level on points, winner takes all. Though of course we all know a draw should be enough to "secure" the trophy, I feel that if we go into this game with that mindset, it could be a recipe for disaster. So let's. go. for. it!
Arteta confirmed Saka is out. He's hopeful/positive about Madueke, no word on Calafiori, Odegaard and Timber.
And here's a little stroll down memory lane that the club just put out: https://www.arsenal.com/news/vault-five-great-wins-man-city A bit of a trip to see baby-faced versions of grizzled heroic veterans now, e.g. Keown! Also 3 of these 5 wins were at Maine Road! And our LAST win on their patch turns out to be that match I recalled above... from 2015... yikes! High time for another result I say.
I don't usually speculate a ton about our XI two days beforehand, but this game's got me thinking more. Barring unsuspected injury or illness, I'm willing to bet on the defense and central core of: Raya White-Saliba-Gabriel-Hincapie Zubimendi-Rice Eze Which leaves most of the questions/decisions in 3 attacking positions: Noni-vs-Max, Kai-vs-Viktor, Marti-vs-Leo. And if you held my hand to the fire, I'd guess at: Noni-[Eze]-Marti Kai But unlike the 8 positions further behind, these 3 are very much a crap-shoot I think. And at the same time, it may be where the coach(es) really need to come up with some creative plan to overcome both Citeh's defense and our recent impotence.
🚨 Mikel Arteta: “We are going to prepare the game to WIN, that’s for sure”.“We are not going to spend a second talking about a draw”. pic.twitter.com/MGl73E6t0j— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 17, 2026
Last 2 times we have beaten City, we did it without Saka. Therefore we are beating City. Its science. Arsenal 1-0.
Biggest game of the year. And 10 posts? Hello, anybody out there?? p.s. This is the level of match I usually go to my local to watch with brethren. But since January, my local for 25 years (Tigin, Stamford) has been "under renovation, to reopen March 1". Sadly (and not surprisingly) that date came and went... looks like they might've gone from gooners to goners. And I don't exactly fancy traveling 45+ mins to some place I've never been, no idea how un/crowded it'd be, probably nobody I know, etc. So watch it home I will.
The tension is palpable. For sure. The amount of content out there trying to tell Arsenal fans and City fans what is at stake on Sunday is a ********ing joke. Nobody here needs to be told what is at stake. We know. Nobody here is wondering who is available. We know. Everyone here will be supporting the Arsenal on Sunday and win, lose, or draw, we will continue to do the same. LFG, COYG!!!!
A new piece by Guillem Balague on Pep vs Arteta as coaches. Maybe not the best article ever, but he tends to have insights and insider-info that many journalists don’t, to Spanish football in general and Pep specifically. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cd6lld4q57po p.s. I did chuckle to myself when he quoted Pep Segura comparing/equating the strategic value of Erling and Viktor. p.p.s. He states quite clearly that Pep, until just recently, had been giving Mikel the cold-shoulder treatment for some time, which you may recall I inferred from their pre/post match comings together and I promptly got shat upon for reading too much into body language.
I don't want to watch this match. But it's too cold to go golfing or go to a baseball game. nervous in the service. not sure I can handle watching
1:30am, its ********ing cold in Aus at the moment, ill be watching this game with hot chips and the knowledge that we aren't losing today. I can feel it in my bones.
We haven't won at City in a while from off the top of my head. Don't expect to .A draw would seem like a win with the way things are currently. City has to win which helps us if we are up to it and play the team defense we started the season doing. Hurts us if we are still in the same form as the last several days.
Bold lineup, what is the formation? Your Gunners.🤝 Presented by @deel— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 19, 2026
Citeh Donnarumma, Nunes, Khusanov, Guéhi, O'Reilly, Rodri, Bernardo, Semenyo, Cherki, Doku, Haaland SUBS | Trafford, Reijnders, Stones, Ake, Marmoush, Nico, Ait-Nouri, Savinho, Foden
Hmm... I got a couple of those wrong. And definitely didn't expect Eze *and* Ode in the same XI. But how? Eze on left wing perhaps? Instead of Marti/Leo. p.s. And for a change from recently, I like the look of our bench today.