Manchester City host Arsenal on Wednesday in a mouth-watering contest that is expected to go someway to deciding the destination of the Premier League title this season.
Arsenal have seen their lead at the top of the league gradually deteriorate in recent weeks with three successive draws meaning they need to win at the Etihad to keep the title in their own hands, with City just five points behind with two games in hand.
The game will be part of Gameweek 366 on Sorare Football, and 101 Great Goals has broken down the key statistical takeaways ahead of the game.
📰 Table Of Contents
Manchester City Sorare L5 stat pack
Manchester City’s top performers over their last five matches
Three Manchester City Sorare gems to watch
John Stones
Stones has been a revelation for City ever since moving into his hybrid defensive/midfield role. For a player who has often been part of the rotation policy at the Etihad, he has found himself indispensable in recent weeks, with the FA Cup game against Sheffield United the only game he has missed in the last six outings, so he is virtually guaranteed another start here.
His recent scores have been solid rather than spectacular at 52 as an L5 score, bit with scores of 80 and 75 in two of his last three games, that score is bound to shoot up before long.
Ilkay Gundogan
Ranking in the top 10% of midfielders for non-penalty goals per 90 minutes, shots per 90, progressive passes and touches in the attacking penalty area show that Gundogan is a midfielder always involved at the right end of the pitch, with an eye for goal. With an L15 of 57 but recent form better than that, he could be one to jump on ASAP.
Jack Grealish
Grealish’s form is no secret, he has clearly been enjoying his best period in a City shirt since his £100m move from Aston Villa almost two years ago. He has made himself an integral part of the attacking team at the Etihad and has been a 100% regular in the last 15 matches, during which time he has returned an average score of 64.
While not a prolific goalscorer, he has develop a great rapport with Erling Haaland and even when he has not been the main man in recent games, he has still returned scored in the 50s. Prior to that, he was almost faultless with scores of 98 and 87 in back-to-back games and will fancy cutting inside and driving at Rob Holding on Wednesday.
Manchester City most recent line-up, Sorare scores and team news
Pep Guardiola opted to rest and rotate for the FA Cup meeting with Sheffield United on Saturday, so is likely to return to his strongest possible XI that should represent something similar to the side that saw off Bayern Munich last week.
Riyad Mahrez stated a claim for selection with a hat-trick at Wembley, but Guardiola is likely to stick to the tried and tested – although Mahrez could be an interesting option if City decide to explore Oleksandr Zinchenko’s defensive frailties.
Arsenal Sorare L5 stat pack
Arsenal’s best performers over their last five matches
Three Arsenal Sorare gems to watch
Granit Xhaka
Xhaka has enjoyed his best season in an Arsenal shirt, but he remains something of an uncovered gem in the Sorare world. He is a consistent rather than a spectacular scorer, but is a good option for bolstering your midfield. He has had injury problems of late, but is expected to return against City and his presence was hugely missed in the draw with Southampton.
His 10 goal contributions this season are by far his best since arriving in the Premier League, with five goals and five assists and his running from deep could be a vital weapon in trying to overcome City’s midfield block.
Thomas Partey
Similarly to Xhaka, Partey is a bit more of an underappreciated presence when compared to the attacking talents of Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus. However he remains a solid influence, and L5 and L15 scores of 53 represent his consistency.
He may not contribute hugely in the final third, but his defensive actions mean he is a regular scorer and critical in Arsenal’s performance this season.
Gabriel Martinelli
Martinelli has enjoyed a standout season as the last of the thrilling quartet of attackers at Mikel Arteta’s disposal. With 15 goals and five assists this season, it has been a stunning campaign for the 21-year-old and after slowing down shortly after Christmas, he appears to be hitting his peak once more.
He has averaged an incredible 77 points per game in his last five outings, which drops to 61 over the last 15 and 52 over the last 40. This is a man in red hot form and other than Haaland, could arguably be the standout player in the Premier League at the moment. His battle with the side right-side of defence could be one of the spectacles of the game.
Arsenal most recent line-up, Sorare scores and team news
The absence of William Saliba has been one of the key reasons for Arsenal’s recent dip in form, with seven goals conceded in three matches largely due to the instability at the back caused by the absence of the young Frenchman.
He will not be ready to return in this game and is likely to miss the rest of the season, so Rob Holding will continue to deputise but he has struggled to fill in as Arteta would have hoped.
Xhaka will return having suffered from illness, but Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mohamed Elneny remain out.
Arteta is unlikely to deviate from the XI that played against Southampton, with Xhaka returning for Fabio Vieira the only likely change, although there have been calls for Leandro Trossard to be included.
