Arsenal undroppable set for new role vs Man City after major Erling Haaland flashpoint
Defensively Arsenal were sublime against Tottenham in the North London Derby last weekend. That should come as no surprise really, given the Gunners defensive record in the past year.
Arsenal had the best defence in the Premier League in 2023/24, conceding just 29 goals in their 38 matches. They did not concede a goal in two matches against Manchester City, winning 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium and drawing 0-0 at the Etihad Stadium.
With the likes of Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice missing from their team against Spurs, we once again saw a more defensive stance from Mikel Arteta in the North London Derby. And, when they grabbed a goal, staunchly defended their lead with little trouble.
Odegaard will also be missing for the trip to Manchester City this weekend and we could well see another determined, rather then free-flowing, performance from the Gunners. Any way to get the job done against Pep Guardiola’s side will do.
One of the key battles on the day will be between Erling Haaland and the Arsenal centre-backs. Haaland already has nine Premier League goals to his name this season, scoring in every match so far.
Stopping the Norwegian goal machine is no mean feat, but Arsenal have already showed they can do it. But it may require a slight change in focus from Arteta’s centre-backs.
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Haaland had quite the tussle with Gabriel Magalhaes during that 0-0 draw at the Etihad Stadium last season. The Brazilian barely let the striker out of his sight, following him around the pitch, almost like a man-marking performance. And it worked.
The pair were seen having an exchange after the final whistle, in what appeared to be a light-hearted manner as they both seems to enjoy the physical battle they had just had. Haaland can be heard asking “It’s OK?” to Gabriel, with the Arsenal man responding “It’s OK.”
Chances are, Gabriel will be the one sticking close to Haaland once more when the pair meet again on Sunday afternoon. But that may require a slight change to how Arsenal have done things so far.
Gabriel turned in a man-of-the-match performance against Tottenham in the North London Derby, scoring the only goal of the game and showing his immense quality at the back. However, when it came to dealing with Spurs’ striker Dominic Solanke, that duty was left to his partner William Saliba.
Solanke did look good in the opening stages of the match, appearing to bully Saliba on a number of occasions. But he could not get the better of him by scoring and ultimately Arsenal won the day.
Saliba taking on the duty of marking Solanke shows Arsenal’s fluidity when it comes to different matches and different profiles of strikers. Gabriel will no doube be back on the case when it comes to Haaland this weekend and we could be in for another epic duel.
