MAN CITY v Arsenal: The PREVIEW – City’s Probable Team

The View From A Blue app is now available to download on iPhones, iPads and Androids. It features updates from this blog, the official MCFC website, BBC, Sky Sports and YouTube, as well as the official View From A Blue feeds from Twitter and Facebook. Search ‘viewfromablue’ in the Android or iPhone market.

Bouncing back from a defeat isn’t something we have had to do too often this season, but tomorrow’s fixture against Arsenal will be a stern test of our character and mentality. Following the defeat away to Chelsea, our lead at the top of the Premier League table has been cut to just two points and with Manchester United playing early on against QPR, we could start this game in second place. The players will need to show just how resilient they are, but we can take great heart from the fact that the quality of football we have been producing recently should be more than enough to see us record a win.

For the opening half hour on Monday night at Stamford Bridge, we were simply exceptional. The fluidity of our movement and incisiveness of passing was an absolute joy to watch and if we can reach that level again on Sunday, we should be fine. That said, Arsenal are in a rich vein of form themselves, having won seven and drawn one of their past eight games, so this promises to be a stormer.

Devoid of the services of the suspended Gael Clichy and the injured Aleks Kolarov, manager Roberto Mancini is likely to select Pablo Zabaleta on the left of defence, with the fit-again Micah Richards returning to right-back. In midfield, the quartet of De Jong, Yaya Touré, Barry and Milner are competing for just two places, whilst it will be fascinating to see whether Mancini hands Samir Nasri an opportunity against his former club. The Frenchman was poor in the recent Carling Cup tie between the sides but has since looked far sharper and has showed signs of settling in.

Further forward, and it looks like a battle between Balotelli, Aguero and Dzeko for a pair of starting berths. The Bosnian missed out against Chelsea so I’d expect him to start, whilst Balotelli, after hitting the headlines against for what he did in training during the week, could be the one to miss out.

Here is the side Mancini could select:

  HART

    RICHARDS             KOMPANY                   LESCOTT               ZABALETA

Y. TOURÉ                     BARRY

          NASRI                         SILVA                      BALOTELLI

   DZEKO

With regards to the visitors, the obvious main threat is striker Robin Van Persie, whose recent goalscoring form has been spectacular. His clinical finishing and clever movement are aspects that Kompany and Lescott must watch carefully, whilst Theo Walcott’s pace down the right could cause problems. In midfield, Alex Song has impressed with his physicality and improved passing, and the return to defence of Thomas Vermaelen is key.

Referee: Phil Dowd – He officiated the Community Shield game against Manchester United which we lost, and was also the man in the middle for our victories away at Spurs and Blackburn.

Prediction: MAN CITY 3 - 1 Arsenal – I predict we’ll bounce back very strongly and play some superb football. It is likely to be an open game, full of excitement and chances. Goals to be scored by Edin Dzeko, Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli and Robin Van Persie.

Follow @viewfromablue