This is the matchthousands of fans are expecting. Manchester City host Arsenal inthe fourth round ofthe 2022-2023 FA Cup . The two best teams at the moment in the United Kingdom go head to head in their first battle of the year.
Manchester City don’t want to give up. A few days ago, after a victory against Tottenham, Pep Guardiola questioned if his players were still hungry for titles. This is the momentto show it. Even though they’refive points behind Arsenal in thePremier League, the Citizens are very much alive in the three major competitions: Champions League, Premier and FA Cup .
Arsenalare the biggest surprise in Europe. Their start at the2022-2023 Premier Leaguehas been amazing with 50 points after19 games. However, theFA Cupis a very different storywith the knockout stages. They have won this tournament 14 times (record) and the last one came in the 2019-2020 season.
Why is Martin Odegaardnot playing in Manchester Cityvs Arsenal?
In a surprising tactical decision by Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard won’t start in the midfield for Arsenal in the fourth round of the FA Cup. One of the newest additions of the team, Leandro Trossard, gets the call in a major opportunity to show his worth against Manchester City.
Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah will complete the attack for Arsenal in what should be the perfect scenario to send a strong statement. This is also a clear message from Mikel Arteta who is rotating several players. The FA Cup is important, but the Premier League is their priority.
Though Martin Odegaard is not starting, the Norwegian player is available to come from the bench.Considering the special format of the FA Cup, the single-elimination game, Odegaard might be crucial in the last part of the match.