*Live sport klaxon*
Good evening and welcome along to our coverage of this evening’s Premier League clash between Arsenal and Manchester City from the Emirates Stadium, where the staff have been working all day to clear the snow.
The game does indeed go ahead despite the adverse weather conditions which have hit most of the UK and Ireland over the last 48 hours, and that’s a blessing for us all as cabin fever sets in.
Kick off in north London is at 7.45pm and we’ll have all the build-up between now and then right here, plus all the action as it happens. Stick with us for some Thursday night football.
Members of Arsenal club staff have joined the Emirates Stadium groundstaff in working all afternoon to clear the pitch, stands and the stadium’s surrounding areas in a bid to get the game on.
The pitch lines have also been painted blue to help the match officials and players pick out the lines in the event of any further snowfall during the game.
TEAM NEWS: As was expected Petr Cech returns between the posts after sitting out Sunday’s Carabao Cup final defeat to City at Wembley, but there’s no Jack Wilshere who is out with an ankle injury.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who was cup tied at the weekend, also returns, while Danny Welback and Sead Kolasinac are handed recalls to Arsene Wenger’s XI.
📋 Here's how we line up for tonight's game against @ManCity#AFCvMCFC pic.twitter.com/CrpvDkQT0p
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) March 1, 2018
TEAM NEWS: This is how the visitors will line up tonight, with Pep Guardiola making just two changes from the side which beat the Gunners 3-0 at Wembley.
Ederson replaces Claudio Bravo while Bernardo Silva comes in for the injured Fernandinho. Fabian Delph is still suspended and Raheem Sterling remains sidelined through injury.
Say hello to your @HaysWorldwide #afcvcity City line-up! pic.twitter.com/I5YPgDFizI
— Manchester City (@ManCity) March 1, 2018
This is the second meeting of the sides in four days following that one-sided final at Wembley on Sunday. The Gunners were dismantled by a City side who took their chances and pounced on individual defensive mistakes to secure the first silverware of the season, prompting mass speculation that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger could be set to leave the club at the end of the campaign.
Wenger’s side have recorded just two victories in their last 16 Premier League matches against fellow ‘big six’ teams (D6 L8) and currently sit in sixth position in the league.
With their top four hopes already looking slim it is vital that Arsenal bounce back with a win tonight and they’ll take comfort from their impressive home form which has been their saviour so far this season.
But, the Premier League leaders, who can extend their lead to 16 points tonight, have lost just one of their last 35 league matches, winning 29 and drawing five.
Which way do you see this one going?
Poll Results:
Tonight’s game is live on Sky Sports, and Arsene Wenger has been speaking to the broadcaster before kick off:
“We lost the final and it takes desire to respond and do well because we’re proud and we want to win games. There were questions after the final but they’re a good side and when you play in a final you have to accept you can lose.
“We want to attack and we played a bit more cautious at Wembley. We’ll see if we can be more comfortable with a back four.
“Jack Wilshere is not available. He’s just played two games in four days. He gave a lot in those two games and he was a bit short in training but he should be back on Sunday.”
All set at the Emirates. Here’s a quick check on the teams before we get underway.
Arsenal XI: Cech, Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Kolasinac, Ramsey, Xhaka, Mkhitaryan, Ozil, Welbeck, Aubameyang.
Manchester City XI: Ederson, Walker, Otamendi, Kompany, Danilo, Bernardo, Gudogan, De Bruyne, Silva, Sane, Aguero.
Pep Guardiola has been giving his pre-match thoughts to Sky Sports:
“It’s always a mystery after winning a trophy, whether the players are still focused on not. But there are still a lot of games to play and they’re tough fixtures.
“Some teams are playing Premier League, then Champions League, and some are playing Premier League, then Europa League, so every game will be a battle. We still have to win games, not to wait to see what’s going to happen.”
Despite the sold out signs around the ground, there are swathes of empty seats around the Emirates Stadium with thousands unable to travel because of the adverse weather. Anyway, it’s game on and we’re ready to go.
KICK OFF! We’re underway at the Emirates.
2 mins – Positive and purposeful start from Arsenal, who are already looking more threatening than they did at Wembley on Sunday. City, playing in their black third kit, are happy to knock the ball around in the early exchanges.
5 mins – The weather has obviously played its part but with the majority of the away end full, you get the feeling Arsenal fans have voted with their feet here tonight. The place is absolutely dead.
6 mins – Ramsey is quickly onto the loose ball in the City half and threads a nicely-weighted ball through for Aubameyang, but Ederson is off his line to gather.
8 mins – Arsenal already causing City far more problems than they did on Sunday, and Ramsey has been heavily involved. The Welsh international gets to the end line and his low cross comes off Kompany, forcing Ederson to make a point-blank save, although he didn’t know much about it.
At the other end, Aguero streaks clear but the angle is tight and his effort from the right hits the side netting.
12 mins – Arsenal’s forward line are linking well and Ramsey again steals possession before the ball is fed left to Mkhitaryan, who forces Ederson into action with a low drive from the edge of the area.
14 mins — GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Man City (Bernardo Silva)
That’s what makes the champions elect so dangerous. Sane embarks on a mazy run down this left side and beats four Arsenal defenders to create the space for Bernardo Silva, who cuts back inside on his left and curls a delightful effort up and over Cech into the top corner.
The mood inside the Emirates hasn’t been helped by City’s early goal.
17 mins — Ramsey has space in midfield to switch play out to the overlapping Hector Bellerin, but the Welshman’s ball is overhit and goes out for a City throw. The discontent among the fans who have showed up is becoming more audible, too.
19 mins – Arsenal look to hit City at their own game by breaking through Welbeck, but Nicolas Otamendi prevents him from going any forward and takes the yellow card. From the free, Granit Xhaka forces Ederson to get down low to his left.
Bernardo Silva scores @ManCity’s 80th PL goal of the season, equalling last season’s total (10 games still to play after tonight) pic.twitter.com/MpMhjBjVSv
— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) March 1, 2018
22 mins — Arsenal, to their credit, have responded well to going behind and have already created three chances. The latest of which came from down the right where Bellerin got the better of Danilo to find Ramsey unmarked in the box.
The midfielder did well to control and swivel but his well-struck half-volley was straight at Ederson, who made the save look easy.
11 - Leroy Sane has provided 11 assists in the Premier League this season; only his teammate Kevin De Bruyne (14) has made more. Expression. pic.twitter.com/0H9BbZ2PcE
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 1, 2018
27 mins — GOAL! Arsenal 0-2 Man City (David Silva)
Sensational. Sane rips Arsenal apart down the left again and Aguero feeds it through for David Silva to latch onto and lift it over Cech.
31 mins – This City team are a joy to watch when in full flight and they haven’t even left third gear yet tonight — they’ve now scored with each of their last six shots on target against Arsenal in all competitions.
32 mins — GOAL! Arsenal 0-3 Man City (Sane)
Man City are running riot now, and they’re absolutely devastating in this form. It all starts with Aguero’s exquisite first touch to get away from his man, and ends with Sane finishing after Silva’s square ball. The boos are growing louder.
36 mins – As much as Arsenal have been better than Sunday, the problem is that so too have City. They’ve scored three brilliant goals and the hosts have been carved open at will. It could get very embarrassing for the Gunners and Wenger.
38 mins – A rare bright moment for Arsenal. Ozil plays it over the top for Ramsey, who sees his shot deflected behind for a corner. There were a few appeals for handball but Andre Marriner isn’t interested.
40 mins – De Bruyne streaks clear down the right and cuts it back for Aguero, who very nearly makes it 4-0 but is denied by Cech.
Im sorry but we are so good 😱
— Benjamin Mendy (@benmendy23) March 1, 2018
Says it all.
45 mins – On another night, Arsenal could have scored a couple of times in this first half but it’s just not falling for them. Xhaka is the latest to test Ederson but his long-range effort is straight at the City ‘keeper.
45 + 1 mins – We’re into the first of two minutes of added time.
Half time! Arsenal 0-3 Man City
A first-half masterclass from Manchester City and they’re on course to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to 16 points. Bernardo Silva set the visitors on their way with a stunning finish after Sane’s mazy run, David Silva made it 2-0 soon after and then Sane scored the third after a sensational team move.
Ouch.
KICK OFF! We’re back underway at the Emirates.
49 mins – Not a lot to report in the opening minutes of the second half. Arsenal doing their best to press City high and gain some sort of foothold in proceedings.
51 mins — Penalty to Arsenal!
The home side have been bright since the restart and they’ve a great chance to repair some of the damage after Otamendi clattered into the back of Mkhitaryan. No doubt about that.
53 mins – But Aubameyang’s effort — which lacked pace or direction — is saved by Ederson. That was a poor penalty from the striker and any talk of an unlikely comeback is quickly put to bed. Just about sums up Arsenal’s night.
58 mins — Close! The ball falls for Aubameyang in space and he hits it first time on the turn, but strikes it wide from the edge of the area. That was a good chance for the Gabon international.
65 mins – City have taken their foot off the gas since the restart and have been a bit sloppy in this second period, with Guardiola quite animated on the touchline as he looks to get his side going again.
72 mins – City have made their first change with Kyle Walker making way for Oleksandr Zinchenko. 18 minutes remaining at the Emirates.
73 mins – City are in complete control and this game is just petering out towards a miserable end for Arsenal and their fans who decided to make the effort tonight.
77 mins – For the first time in the half, City go forward purposefully and Cech is forced into a really smart stop after Aguero had found space and looked to finish into the far corner.
81 mins – Yaya Toure is on for the final 10 minutes, replacing Aguero.
84 mins – As the snow begins to fall at the Emirates, a mass exodus has started and at this rate there will be no one left inside the ground by the time the final whistle goes.
85 mins – Final change for City as David Silva departs for Gabriel Jesus.
89 mins — 58,420 is the official attendance tonight, but as Gary Neville points out on Sky, if you doubled the actual number inside the ground it would still be nowhere near that.
90 mins – Two minutes of added time.
Full time! Arsenal 0-3 Man City
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