Only Arsenal can beat Man City at the moment?
The "Gunners" are the team with the second most consecutive wins in the tournament at the moment with 4 matches. Of course, this number is too small compared to Man City's 10-match streak, but this cannot be denied that Arsenal are playing too well.
Arteta's team has proven that they do not need the number 1 star Aubameyang, everything is fine, even more sublime when reducing a debt. The person who used to play with Aubameyang, Lacazette, chose to stay and change himself. The French striker integrates faster into the fast-paced play of his young teammates and is very active on the pitch. That is one of the commendable points of this star and a positive for Arsenal.
Arsenal's strikers and midfielders are very strong, coming from the ability to get along well with each "explosive point" on the pitch. Like the style of the 3 teams leading the table, every Arsenal player at the top knows how to score. When the opponent faces the "Gunners", they will have to spread their strength to control that virtual reality to the fullest.
The success of the Emirates team up to now has a great contribution from Arteta. Not another star, it is Pep's former assistant who is the brightest in the Arsenal squad. Arteta is young, has just retired and still maintains his enthusiasm for the players.
It is a pity for the "Gunners" tonight that they will not have direct guidance from Arteta due to the recent COVID-19 infection. However, with his form and determination to bring gifts to his coach at the beginning of the new year, Odergaard and his teammates are ready to make a surprise.
Will Manchester City take the lead?
Like Liverpool, Man City under Pep have never played defensively, whether at home, away or against any opponent. In the first leg, they crushed Arsenal to 5-0, there is no reason for The Citizens to be too cautious as needed.
A few days ago, Pep announced that the current team did not need a center forward. This was once considered the only weakness in Manchester City's perfect overall picture. If Pep believes that weakness is not a problem, Man City does not need anyone to worry about them. With 10 consecutive wins and every star shining, The Citiznes have shown their dreamable consistency, being the only club in the Premier League that is eligible for "2 stars for 1 position".
Even when Foden and Grealish were given a penalty, others still scored. When the couple returned, they continued to shine.
Man City is both good and lucky. In the context of direct opponents facing injuries and having COVID-19 cases, the Etihad team is not affected much. If Chelsea and Liverpool occasionally stumble due to an opponent's goal, Man City does not let the opponent score, that is also one of Pep's motivations this season. No need to score as many goals as usual, sometimes it's worth winning, sometimes it's okay to be ugly.
If Arsenal fans are dreaming of 3 points, they should also prepare for their nightmare spirit because maybe, Man City will score enough goals to win before the end of the first half.
The match between Arsenal and Manchester City will take place at 7:30 p.m. on January 1 (Vietnam time), live on K+.
