Arsenal handed major boost ahead of crunch Man City clash as De Bruyne is ruled out
Arsenal have been handed a massive boost ahead of this weekend’s box office showdown against Manchester City.
According to The Mirror, Man City skipper Kevin De Bruyne is set to sit out the crunch match after picking up an injury during the Cityzens’ Champions League game against Inter Milan.
Arsenal and Man City are considered title favourites after their epic battles over the past two seasons, and this weekend’s clash of the titans has become one of the most highly-anticipated matches of the season.
The Gunners are keen to topple their Manchester counterparts and secure their first Premier League title in over two decades.
Having already failed to achieve that objective twice in a row, Mikel Arteta and his Gunners will be hoping they’re third-time lucky this season.
Sunday’s showdown at the Etihad Stadium could go a long way in deciding who comes out on top in this season’s title race, with both sides already setting the pace.
However, the build-up to the match has been dominated by injury problems to key players for both teams.
Arsenal have already been dealt a blow of their own. Captain Martin Odegaard is ruled out until November, but they’ve also been handed a massive boost, with Man City set to be without De Bruyne on Sunday.
In Odegaard’s absence, Arteta tweaked his tactical approach against Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby.
He deployed Leandro Trossard in the middle of the park while Kai Havertz led the line and will likely stick with that approach against Man City this weekend.
Arsenal will journey to Manchester on the back of a goalless draw against Europa League title holders Atalanta.
The result against the Serie A side means Arsenal are still yet to taste defeat across all competitions, but they’ll face their biggest test so far against Man City.
Arteta will be without his skipper Odegaard, but he must find a way to get the better of Man City and prove Arsenal’s credentials as title contenders.
