FA Cup: Man City must beat Arsenal on Friday

Premier League leaders Arsenal will visit second placed Man City in the FA Cup 4th round match in their first meeting of the season

Man City must beat Arsenal to halt the talks of a decline. Arsenal has to prove they can beat the best. Who comes out tops? (Photo credit: Tribuna)

Manchester City vs Arsenal

Etihad Stadium

9:00pm

The Gunners are on top of the Premier League table; they travel to Eastlands to square up with their closest rivals on the table, Man City, and it’s strange that it’s their first meeting of the season.

It is strange that this is Man City and Arsenal's first meeting of the season.

Both had a game postponed when the Queen passed away, and their first league meeting will now be on the 15^th of February.

But on Friday, the two will meet to determine who advances in the FA Cup.

It’s a big opportunity for City to remind Arsenal who the boss is, and it’s also a great chance for Arsenal to prove they’re the real deal.

If their 3-0 win over Wolves is any indication, the Premier League reigning champions have found their mojo.

Erling Haaland's hattrick and Kevin De Bruyne's assured performance in the game opened up the possibility that City could be back!

Arsenal mesmerised the whole world with their sleek win over Manchester United over the weekend.

The Gunners showed resilience and the will to dig deep to bring out something special when the game was even.

The FA Cup is the oldest competition in town, and despite fears that it could be losing value, teams still field their best available legs.

We’ll expect to see top players when the two sides file out on Friday night at the Etihad.

Arsenal are expected to start Leandro Trossard, and their new center-back signing, Kiwior, is expected to get good minutes.

But the rotation will not be too great to affect squad rhythm and balance.

The Gunners understand the value of momentum; they won’t be naive.

City will drive the game to prove a point, but they can’t be too arrogant.

Arsenal is a good team, and if City underestimates them, it will give Mikel Arteta's team an advantage; but does priority come into play?

City wants the Champions League, Arsenal wants the league—which of them wants the FA Cup?

We’ll have an answer to this when both teams square off for their FA Cup fourth round tie on Friday night, the first of many interesting fixtures.

Verdict: City to win