The fourth round of the FA Cup is upon us, with the focus being on one fixture in particular. That is Friday's highly-anticipated showdown between Manchester City and Arsenal as England's two best teams this season face off in what is a battle for a fifth-round ticket but also a rehearsal for their crucial Premier League encounter next month.
Guardiola's men boast the home advantage in this tie and will look to capitalize off of it irrespective of Pep's recent criticism of their home fans. City are fully aware of the importance—and the consequences of a possible defeat—of this game and will thus look to beat the only club that has outperformed them in England this season.
And fortunately for the Cityzens, they enter this clash on the back of crucial results. Their most recent outing came in the Premier League, with Haaland and Co. hosting Wolves on Sunday. This fixture saw the aforementioned Norwegian superstar bag a brilliant hat-trick, leading the defending champions to a 3-0 victory.
In fact, that was their second confidence-boosting result in a row, having pulled off a tremendous 4-2 comeback victory over Tottenham prior to the Wolves game, with goals from Alvarez, Haaland, and a Mahrez brace overturning a 2-0 halftime deficit.
Additionally, City got to this stage of the FA Cup by beating another top-six rival in the previous round. That team was Chelsea, a club ravaged by injuries, as Guardiola's men marched to a comfortable 4-0 triumph over the Blues.
Another crucial aspect of this upcoming fixture is the psychological element. Guardiola recently issued a rallying cry to his players as a mid-season attempt to spark a fire in the soul of a club that has achieved nearly everything. A home defeat against the Premier League leaders, albeit in the FA Cup, would be a setback.
One advantage that Pep has over his counterpart is strength in depth. Teams typically rotate in this competition and the Cityzens are the only club in the country that can rest four to five players yet still field a world-class starting eleven.
Chelsea experienced this firsthand as Haaland, De Bruyne, Stones, Gundogan, Ederson, and Cancelo — who later came on as a substitute — were all left on the bench yet Potter's side were still thrashed 4-0. Does a similar fate await Arsenal?
If City are entering this fixture in form, then the same must be said about the Gunners. In fact, one could argue that the scale tips in Arsenal's favor given their two most recent results in the Premier League.
Arteta's side enter this clash on the back of two outstanding results, the first being their recent North London Derby showdown with Tottenham. Saka and Co. visited Spurs having not won away to their rivals since 2014 and put that horrible run to an end, beating Conte's men 2-0 to pull off the league double over their neighbors.
The league leaders were handed an even tougher test straight after that, hosting Manchester United, the only team to beat them in the English top flight this season, on Sunday.
And the home side conceded earlier than usual, going 1-0 down to a wonderful Marcus Rashford goal. However, just as they have displayed all season, Arsenal showed character in the face of adversity and clawed their way to victory, beating the Red Devils 3-2.
Despite putting in a dominant display, the Gunners entered the final five minutes of that Emirates Stadium showdown drawing 2-2 and thus headed for a slip-up. Fortunately, a goal from in-form Eddie Nketiah just before stoppage time secured the three points for the London giants.
And as mentioned earlier, there is a psychological factor at play for the 14-time FA Cup champions as well. The consensus is that this season's Premier League title race could come down to Arsenal's head-to-head home and away battles with Man City. Given that the Gunners will welcome the Cityzens to the Emirates Stadium on February 15 in the league, losing their first encounter with Guardiola's side this season could prove detrimental to their confidence, making this a must-win fixture for both clubs.
Team news
Man City: Phil Foden recently suffered a foot issue and it remains uncertain whether the Englishman will be out for some time or not. Elsewhere, Pep has no concerns, meaning rotation is the only focus. As a result, Stefan Ortega should start in goal while Bernardo Silva will be hoping to start.
Arsenal: Elneny and Smith Rowe are both unavailable, with the Englishman sitting out as a precautionary reason while the Egyptian could be sidelined for a lengthy spell. Reiss Nelson is yet to regain full fitness, which means Leandro Trossard is the only attacker who might realistically break into the starting eleven. Matt Turner could also get the nod over Ramsdale while Ben White, who was taken off at half-time in the win over Manchester United, could make way for Tomiyasu.
Key stats
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Manchester City boast a phenomenal record against Arsenal, winning 12 of their last 13 encounters with the Gunners.
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However, in the FA Cup, the North London giants have met the Cityzens five times and have won their last four run-ins, including that semifinal victory in 2020.
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Guardiola's side have registered a clean sheet in their last three encounters with Arteta's side at the Etihad Stadium.
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The last time these two teams met, Man City won in dramatic fashion, triumphing 2-1 thanks to a stoppage-time goal after Gabriel Magalhães was sent off.
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
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