Our live stream ahead of Tuesday nights EFL Cup quarter final match, Arsenal vs Man City is now up and running, kicking off at 20.00 GMT
You can keep an eye on the commentary as it happens below, but first, we take a preview into the fixture, lineups, predictions and much more…
Tuesday will mark one year and two days since Arteta left Man City to take over as Arsenal boss. The Spaniard has won the FA Cup and Community Shield in that time and so this competition offers him the chance to complete a clean sweep of domestic cups early in his senior managerial career.
However, Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to another of Arteta’s former clubs, Everton, means that they have picked up just 14 points from 14 Premier League games this season – their worst start to a campaign since 1974-75.
Arteta will be hoping for some respite in the EFL Cup, then, and cup competitions have provided a welcome distraction for Arsenal over the past decade or so, especially this season.
The Gunners have now reached this stage an unparalleled 29 times, yet they have only gone on to lift the trophy twice, most recently in 1993.
Guardiola’s men are now unbeaten in their last eight games across all competitions, and perhaps the most impressive aspect of that run has been their defensive record, with seven clean sheets and only one goal conceded.
Saturday’s 1-0 victory at high-flying Southampton was a fourth clean sheet in a row away from home, while they have lost just one of their last 13 on the road across all competitions.
In the EFL Cup alone Man City have won each of their last 10 away games, including a 3-0 triumph at Burnley in the last round, and while other competitions may be their priority this season, Guardiola is very much of the belief that every trophy counts.
The two clubs last met in October at the Etihad Stadium, with the Citizens running out 1-0 winners…
PRESS CONFERENCE:
Mikel Arteta
On Aubameyang
Auba is not fit for tomorrow, that’s for sure. We will see who’s available because we have a few doubts in other positions.
On support from the club
Within the club my feeling is just support, encouragement and total confidence we’re going to get through this together.
On reading the comments about him
If I start to read all the comments whether they are positive or negative, they would drive me mad. My suggestion to every player is exactly the same. All the time it happens with this social media.
On where the issues lie
I’m zero interested in ball possession. I’m interested in what we do with that ball and how efficient we are. Our conversion rate and our finishing quality is what’s letting us down at the moment.
On Martinelli ‘saving the season’
We cannot put that pressure on Gabi’s shoulders. He brings that enthusiasm that the fans can see but remember what Gabi has done in the PL is very limited. Let him develop like we do with many young kids we have here.
On the possibility of relegation
When you are in this position and you have the points we have at the moment we have to look and be careful. Because we haven’t been a lot of time in this position.
Explaining the bad form
When you look at the perspective how we are losing football matches and how we are where we are it’s pretty incredible. Last year against Everton we won the game with 25 per cent chance of winning, supported by the stats. We won 3-2.
Last weekend it was 67 per cent chance of winning any Premier League in history, and nine percent of losing – and you lose. you lose. 3 per cent against Burnley and you lose, 7 per cent against Spurs and you lose.
There is something else apart from that that has to go our way and at the moment it doesn’t. Saying that it doesn’t care because you lose and the only thing that cares and you lose the match and that’s why we’re here.
The pressure on Arsenal’s youngsters
It’s part of what they have to do and what they have to go through to become really important players for this football club. You have to see how people react around them in difficult moments.
They have to experience themselves to get through this difficult moments and how they are going to handle the pressure. If they’re able to do that they will have to handle good moments and how the handle bad, to continue performing at the level that is required here.
It’s another experience for them, they’ve been much more mature, responsible and efficient then I was expecting. In my opinion they’re doing really well.
On the Carabao Cup kick-starting the season
Well this is what we want to use it for. As well this is a competition that we want to try to win. We had two difficult opponents before with Leicester and Liverpool.
We managed to beat them both and now we’re plying at home, we’re one step closer to Wembley. It’s a really nice game for us to play because it’s the type of game we’re looking for through the season.
Is the job proving more difficult than you envisaged?
Well, I could not think about a lot of challenges that we’ve been through this year for many different reasons. Some internally at the club, some externally with the pandemic, as well some results we’ve picked up in the last few months in Premier League.
Probably I couldn’t imagine all the nice moments we had when I stepped in and I knew the challenges we were facing, that we were going through a couple of years or more.
Some really positive highlights, obviously now everything is looking a bit more negative because our form in the Premier League obviously.
FORM:
Arsenal EFL Cup form: WW
Arsenal form (all competitions): WLWLDL
Manchester City EFL Cup form: WW
Manchester City form (all competitions): DWWDDW
LINEUPS:
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Leno; Mustafi, Gabriel, Luiz; Bellerin, Ceballos, Elneny, Kolasinac; Willock, Lacazette, Saka
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Steffen; Cancelo, Stones, Ake, Mendy; Fernandinho, Gundogan; Mahrez, Foden, Torres; Aguero
SPORTSMOLE PREDICTION:
Arsenal 0-2 Manchester City
It is difficult to back Arsenal on their current run, particularly at home. The Gunners do seem to be better in competitions outside the Premier League, and their wins at Leicester and Liverpool in previous rounds should not be forgotten, but they have suffered a dramatic nosedive since those results.
Man City have been strong at the back recently and have a good record against Arsenal, so we are backing the visitors to not only progress but also keep a clean sheet in the process.
Time to take a look at our Arsenal vs Man City live match stream as it happens…
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