Arteta dares Guardiola in Premier League moment of truth – The Kampala Report

Arteta dares Guardiola in Premier League moment of truth

By Ssekamatte Allan Mabiriizi Simonsen Michael

Apprentice dares master when the two principal protagonists in English Premier League football lock horns at Etihad Stadium on Sunday. After finishing runners up in consecutive seasons, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side are targeting a victory over former boss Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at a ground that’s customarily proved their nemesis.

That’s easier said than done. The young Basque manager has only beaten his Catalan rival once in their last twelve confrontations. And that victory was at Emirates Stadium.

Even avoiding defeat at a venue at which they secured a goalless draw on their last visit on March 31 would be an important psychological lift that can help them overcome the final mental hurdle needed to dethrone Guardiola’s four time defending champions.

Simone Inzaghi’s Italian champions Inter Milan on Wednesday provided a good template for how to shackle City’s goal scoring machine, Erling Braut Haaland who has netted nine goals in four EPL outings when they restricted him to sporadic touches in a Uefa Champions League goalless stalemate.

Arsenal welcome back Declan Rice after he missed last Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. The inspirational midfielder should help provide a protective screen in front of the magnificent central defensive pair of William Saliba and Gabriel Maghalaes.

But the out of the contest may well hinge on how well Rice, who is without injured influential captain Martin Odegaard next to him, copes with City’s midfield trio of Rodrigo Cascante Hernandez ‘Rodri’, Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic. Arteta may deploy experienced metronome Jorginho and Thomas Partey to help his Gunners cope with City’s passing carousel.

Former Etihad Stadium mainstays Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling and Oleksandr Zinchenko are all itching to put one over their former paymasters.

EPL action gets underway with Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca pitting his wits against West Ham United’s Julen Lopetegui in a battle of new managers. The former Wolves boss has been criticised by Hammers fans for his perceived negative tactics while Maresca must win over doubting Thomases with the right team selection.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot will ask for more of the same against Bournemouth after his side on Tuesday whipped Italian giants AC Milan 3-1 at the San Siro. The 19-time champions cannot afford any more slip ups after last week’s 0-1 setback at home to Nottingham Forest left them three points off title pace.

Old Trafford supremo Erik Ten Hag will get an accurate measure of how much his team are progressing when they confront a Crystal Palace side that bamboozled them 4-0 on their last visit to Selhurst Park. Manchester United strikers Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford are keen to get among the goals after each grabbed a brace in the Red Devils 7-0 Carabao Cup victory over Barnsley.

SATURDAY
West Ham United v Chelsea,
Aston Villa v Wolves,
Fulham v Newcastle United,
Leicester City v Everton,
Liverpool v Bournemouth,
Southampton v Ipswich Town,
Tottenham Hotspur v Brentford,
Crystal Palace v Manchester United

SUNDAY
Brighton v Nottingham Forest,
Manchester City v Arsenal