There's a strong argument that Wednesday night's clash at the Etihad Stadium is Arsenal's biggest game perhaps since their first and only appearance in a Champions League final.
The reward for beating Manchester City away from home - something the north London outfit have not managed in the Premier League since January 2015 - will be an eight-point lead at the top of the table and firmly back in control of the title race after three straight draws.
Based on recent history and current form, the odds are stacked heavily against the Gunners. But it's worth pointing out that under Mikel Arteta, hoodoos at Stamford Bridge, Old Trafford and away at Tottenham have come to an end, not to mention claiming a point at Anfield earlier in the month.
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In terms of team news, Arsenal will once again be without William Saliba because of a back injury but could welcome back Granit Xhaka after he missed the 3-3 draw at home to Southampton last Friday night in a game that was hardly the ideal preparation for facing Pep Guardiola's side.
With that in mind, it's absolutely crucial that Arteta gets his team selection right. Thankfully for him football.london's Arsenal writers Kaya Kaynak, Tom Canton and Tashan Deniran-Alleyne are on hand to offer some assistance. Below, they name their respective starting line-ups for the visitors against Man City.
Kaya Kaynak - Chief Arsenal Writer
I've been really toying with switching formation if I were Mikel Arteta. Teams who have beaten City this season have generally played with a back five which has caused them problems. This formation would probably protect Rob Holding more which just makes sense to me.
With that in mind, I'm going for Aaron Ramsdale in goal of course, but in front of him I'm picking a three. That will be made up of Kieran Tierney at left centre back, Gabriel Magalhaes in the middle and Holding on the right side of the defence. This pits Gabriel up against Erling Haaland which I'm personally much more comfortable with.
At left wing-back I'm going for Oleksandr Zinchenko, and at right wing-back it's Ben White for me. I see the argument for playing Bukayo Saka there, but I think if you do that, you negate your best attacking threat which is Arsenal's most realistic chance of winning the game.
That means pushing Saka further up behind the striker on the right. On the left, I'm obviously having Gabriel Martinelli who is in the form of his life at the minute and could take advantage of the space John Stones leaves behind. Up top it's got to be Gabriel Jesus even after his poor display against the Saints.
In midfield, I'm going for a mix of defence and attack with Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard. Both are technically secure which I think could be key here. Playing Odegaard in this more withdrawn role as a double pivot would be a risk, but I can't see any perfect solutions here.
Kaynak's Arsenal XI vs Manchester City: Ramsdale; White, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Partey; Saka, Martinelli; Jesus.
Tom Canton - Arsenal Writer
I’d like to preface this by saying that Granit Xhaka would make my team in place of Jorginho but Mikel Arteta did not leave me feeling confident with his words in the press conference.
Fabio Vieira did not play well under the pressure and expectation to help Arsenal grip control and composure against Southampton and in this titanic clash the experienced head of the Italian alternative makes more sense but deeper, with Thomas Partey playing in the double pivot of a 4-2-3-1 rather than a 4-3-3.
Getting on the Rob Holding debate, the mental gymnastics that some have indulged in to find a way to get the centre-half out of the team aren’t for me. I think changing numerous parts of the established side that, despite dropping points in the last three, deserved more in the games and further chaos ahead of such a key match might count against us more than starting Holding.
Leandro Trossard I suppose is the third contentious area and for me, despite his good form, with four goals in four games, Gabriel Jesus should still start. He will get the chance to face, for the first time since leaving, his former side with a point to prove alongside Oleksandr Zinchenko who will be desperate to avenge the two defeats so far.
Canton's Arsenal XI vs Manchester City: Ramsdale, White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Jorginho, Partey, Odegaard, Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Martinelli.
Tashan Deniran-Alleyne - Arsenal Writer
Obviously, the big talking point is how does Mikel Arteta go about ensuring Rob Holding doesn't suffer at the hands of Erling Haaland like he did in the FA Cup meeting between the two sides earlier in the season. Now, whilst I would be all for changing the system, the fact the Spaniard has started with a back five all year leads me to think he will stick to his guns at the Etihad.
Whether that's the right call remains to be seen and it just seems like Holding will keep his place in central defence. However, after two disappointing defensive performances from Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kieran Tierney should get the nod at left-back as he's better equipped to handle City's threat down that flank.
In midfield, I would expect Granit Xhaka to replace Fabio Vieira - provided the Switzerland international is fully fit - alongside Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey who really needs to replicate last season's performance against City at the Emirates Stadium after two below-par outings.
Gabriel Jesus gets the nod in attack despite missing some big chances against Southampton, but this is an area where I feel Arteta can mix things up by having Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli swap flanks which allows for the Brazilian to be direct against the Man City left-back whether that be Nathan Ake, Aymeric Laporte or Bernardo Silva.
Deniran-Alleyne's Arsenal XI vs Manchester City: Ramsdale; White, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney; Partey, Odegaard, Xhaka; Martinelli, G. Jesus, Saka.
Who gets into your starting XI? Use our team selector below and leave a comment to have your say.
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