Arsenal predicted line-up and team news for Emirates showdown with Man City
Arsenal face Manchester City on Sunday afternoon looking to give fans at the Emirates some early Christmas cheer and end a run of four home games without a win.
The Gunners have not lost in three away games under Ljungberg, since he stepped in to replace sacked Spaniard Unai Emery.
This week they scored three times at West Ham in a comeback win, before showing character to come from two down and draw at Standard Liege.
But they return to the Emirates to face Pep Guardiola’s champions, having lost the Swede’s only home encounter – 2-1 against Brighton 11 days ago.
And Ljungberg has told his players that they need to stand up and be counted as they bid to change the mood around Ashburton Grove.
“It’s the right of the fans to be like this.
“Of course, I want them to be with us because I know how much that means to the players.
“But I can also see that sometimes the players get a little bit down when it’s not like that.
“That’s something I will talk to them about. They know about it – but I’ll try to prepare them for it.
“I want to make sure we respect the voice of our fans. In my opinion, they are the club. We must always do our best for them.
“That’s what I’m trying to install in the players. I’ve told them: ‘If you get tired, that’s fine. I have subs to use. But don’t save yourselves’.
“In football today, in the Premier League, you need to go all the time – at 100 per cent.”
Arsenal are without a number of key men, including Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney – in an ideal world, their first-choice fullbacks.
The Spaniard is out with a hamstring issue and £25million summer signing Tierney faces another spell on the sidelines with a shoulder problem.
Granit Xhaka (concussion), Dani Ceballos (hamstring) and Rob Holding (knee) are all also out too.
After experimenting with a back three in Europe in a much-changed side in Belgium, it seems likely that the Gunners will revert to the back four and the defensive partnership that claimed a win in Monday’s London derby: Calum Chambers and Sokratis.
Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is set to lead the line, while Nicolas Pepe and Gabriel Martinelli are likely to return in the wide roles.
The biggest question seems to be whether Mesut Ozil will be trusted to start in a midfield three with Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira, or whether Ljungberg will spring a surprise in that area of the field – potentially by asking David Luiz to play a holding role.
Predicted starting XI: Leno; Maitland-Niles, Chambers, Sokratis, Kolasinac; Torreira, Luiz, Guendouzi; Pepe, Aubameyang, Martinelli.
