Everything you need to know about Manchester City

Factfile

STYLE OF PLAY

Since Pellegrini took over from Roberto Mancini in summer 2013, City have been widely acknowledged to have moved to a more attacking style. Notionally playing a 4-4-1-1 style, this often morphs into the 4-2-3-1 formation that Arsenal fans will be familiar with, but with a much stronger emphasis on wing play.

Typically patient in their build-up, City and Arsenal are more alike in style than many think, with both favouring strings of short passes high up in the opposition half. At these close quarters, it often takes the guile of Silva in behind the movement of Aguero to open up teams.

The full backs are given full license to roam forward, so Pellegrini typically employs a double-pivot in the middle of midfield to help cover the gaps left in behind. Fernando’s acquisition in the summer as a replacement for Javi Garcia has improved City’s solidity in the middle of the park, where last season they often played without a true defensive midfielder, favouring a combination of Toure and Fernandinho.

Often stronger in the second half than the first, Man City will likely look to keep it tight early on and grow into the game. Conversely, Arsenal must look to keep their tempo high and start the game as they have done more recent games to give themselves the best chance of success on Sunday afternoon.

ANTICIPATED LINEUP

SEASON SO FAR:

It’s fair to say it’s been a mixed season so far for City – they just about made it out of the Group stages of the Champions League, scraping through seven points behind Bayern on a total of eight compared to Arsenal’s 13.

After destroying Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup they then capitulated in the next round at Newcastle, and against Sheffield Wednesday again in the FA Cup, they needed two late goals to avoid embarrassment.

In the league it has also been a bit of a mixed bag.

In the games with the rest of the top 6, there have been wins over Tottenham, Man Utd and Southampton, and draws with Arsenal and Chelsea. That sees City at the summit of the top-6 mini league despite having played the least number of games, while Arsenal are rooted to the bottom with just five points from six games.

Against mid-table teams though it has been a different story, with losses to Stoke, West Ham and Newcastle, as well as costly draws with QPR and Burnley. City, it seems, have not learned the lessons of last year where underperforming in the ‘easier’ games against the likes of Sunderland, Wigan and Norwich almost cost them a title which Liverpool were determined to hand over.

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VERSUS:

Arsenal’s last 5 results against Man City: DDLLD

Record for Man City v Arsenal

Overall record between the two clubs:

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Manchester City’s last 5 results: DWWDW