Cesc Fabregas makes prediction for huge Manchester City v Arsenal clash

Cesc Fabregas has backed Arsenal to seal a huge and potentially crucial victory over Premier League title rivals Manchester City this weekend.

The Gunners, bidding to win their first league title since 2004, travel to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday to take on the Premier League champions.

Arsenal have enjoyed a strong start to the new season, taking 10 points out of a possible 12 and beating north London rivals Tottenham with a depleted squad last weekend.

Manchester City, though, are yet to drop a point in an impressive and ominous start to a season they hope will culminate in a fifth successive Premier League crown.

This fixture ended goalless last season but Fabregas is ‘pretty sure’ there will be goals this time around and has tipped Arsenal to return to the English capital with three points.

‘I’m going for 2-1 to Arsenal,’ the Premier League legend, now manager of Italian side Como, said on the Planet Premier League podcast. ‘There will be goals. I’m pretty sure there will be goals.’

While Fabregas is backing is former club to stun Manchester City in their own backyard, he says it would not be a disaster for either club if they were beaten.

‘I think you lose this weekend, it doesn’t have a big impact into the mind of the players, you know, going forward into the season, because there is still so many games to play,’ he added.

‘Now, you lose this game in March, then that’s a big deal. We might see a little difference in terms of approach from the teams.

‘It’s always been a very 50-50 game, you know, because they respect each other, they know all their weaknesses, they know their strengths.

‘I think the game plans of both teams are so good that it makes it a very even game, and sometimes with not a lot of chances. But yeah, I’m really looking forward to it.’

Despite holding Manchester City to a goalless draw back in March, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta received some criticism for his team’s approach during the game.

Fabregas does not expect Arsenal’s tactics to change too much this weekend but says they can afford to be ‘a little bit more direct’.

‘Listen, it’s difficult for me to say what’s on Mikel’s head,’ Fabregas said when asked what he expects from Arsenal.

‘I don’t know if they will do what they did last year. I don’t know if you guys remember that we were debating here when they just dropped into a low block and they were trying to get them on the counter.

‘Sometimes they were not even pressing. They were just waiting for City to come and make a mistake. It nearly worked out, but we debated it here.

‘Is it the right way? Is Arsenal doing the opposite of what they should have done in terms of what they’ve been doing during the whole season?

‘Listen, they didn’t manage to win the league and people can say, oh, if they went on to win that game, those two points…

‘But Mikel is too smart for this. He knows exactly what he’s doing. He has a game plan.

‘Obviously, he always does and the adaptability is important in terms of can he be aggressive? Can he not? I think against City, he will not go full on to press.

‘That’s only my opinion. Can they be a little bit more direct? Yes, because they do have two really fast forwards plus [Kai] Havertz who is now in a very good moment.’

Arsenal beat Manchester City in their home Premier League fixture last season, but Guardiola’s side got one over the Gunners in the FA Cup.

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