Will Madueke or Doku shine? Both Arsenal and Man City boast technically gifted attackers, but the upcoming clash could hinge on the wings, where Noni Madueke and Jeremy Doku are poised to make a difference.
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Noni Madueke's touch map in Arsenal's 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest in the fourth round of the Premier League. Photo: Premier League |
Noni Madueke's touch map in Arsenal's 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest in the fourth round of the Premier League. Photo: Premier League
With Bukayo Saka absent, Madueke, the new signing from Chelsea, is playing with confidence on the right wing. The English midfielder was Arsenal's most dangerous player against Liverpool and continued to trouble defenders with his pace in wins against Nottingham Forest and Bilbao.
In the 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, Madueke created 5 chances, consistently getting the ball wide and crossing for teammates. Averaging 9.66 touches in the penalty area per 90 minutes, the highest in the Premier League, the English star has become a key weapon for the Gunners, dispelling initial doubts.
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Madueke (red, front) and Doku (blue, back) are two dangerous wingers for Arsenal and Man City this season. Photo: Reuters |
Madueke (red, front) and Doku (blue, back) are two dangerous wingers for Arsenal and Man City this season. Photo: Reuters
Meanwhile, Man City are hoping for an explosive performance from Doku. The Belgian winger provided two assists in the Manchester derby and scored a stunning goal to seal a 2-0 win against Napoli in the Champions League. Doku leads the league in chances created from open play (3.2 per 90 minutes) and is considered one of the best one-on-one players.
The threat of Reijnders. In addition to familiar threats like Erling Haaland and Doku, Arsenal must be wary of new signing Tijjani Reijnders, the midfielder making an impact with his runs into the box.
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Tijjani Reijnders' 13 runs into the opposition penalty area in the 2025-2026 Premier League season. Photo: Opta |
Tijjani Reijnders' 13 runs into the opposition penalty area in the 2025-2026 Premier League season. Photo: Opta
The Dutchman can burst from midfield into the final third, putting pressure on Declan Rice or Martin Zubimendi to track him. This could be Pep Guardiola's tactic, as Zubimendi is not strong at covering large areas, a weakness Reijnders can exploit with his off-the-ball movement.
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Tijjani Reijnders scores Man City's second goal in their 4-0 win at Wolves in the first round of the Premier League on 16/8/2025. Photo: Reuters |
Tijjani Reijnders scores Man City's second goal in their 4-0 win at Wolves in the first round of the Premier League on 16/8/2025. Photo: Reuters
Reijnders is among the Premier League's most effective movers this season. Only Man Utd’s Bryan Mbeumo has more runs leading to a teammate’s shot with 18. Reijnders (Man City) and Marcus Tavernier (Bournemouth) have 15 each, Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea) 14, and Florian Wirtz (Liverpool) 12.
Not afraid to go long. Arsenal and Man City are known for possession-based, short-passing play, but in reality, neither is afraid to use long balls when necessary. The clash at the Emirates could be decided by which team uses transitions more effectively.
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Riccardo Calafiori's one-touch long pass for Viktor Gyokeres to score in Arsenal's 5-0 win against Leeds in the second round of the Premier League. Photo: Premier League |
Riccardo Calafiori's one-touch long pass for Viktor Gyokeres to score in Arsenal's 5-0 win against Leeds in the second round of the Premier League. Photo: Premier League
Man City have a known weakness against counter-attacks and long balls. With Viktor Gyokeres up front, Arsenal have another option to play directly into the space behind the high defensive line. The Swedish striker's first Premier League goal, from Riccardo Calafiori's long pass against Leeds, is proof.
Arsenal have the second most direct attacks in the league with 8, behind Bournemouth (9), while last season they ranked 11th in this statistic.
Erling Haaland is also an expert at exploiting space behind defenders. Bernardo Silva's through-ball for the Norwegian striker to go one-on-one with the keeper in last week's Manchester derby showed how dangerous Man City can be on the counter.
Pep Guardiola's team has scored two goals from counter-attacks in the first four rounds. This statistic suggests Arsenal will have to be cautious when pushing forward.
Can Arsenal's defense stop Haaland? Erling Haaland remains Man City's biggest threat. The Norwegian striker has had 9 clear-cut chances this season—three times more than the next player, Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth)—converting 5 into goals.
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Saliba marking Haaland during the Community Shield match between Arsenal and Man City at Wembley Stadium, London, England on 6/8/2023. Photo: AFP |
Saliba marking Haaland during the Community Shield match between Arsenal and Man City at Wembley Stadium, London, England on 6/8/2023. Photo: AFP
However, Haaland's opponent this time is one of Europe's most solid defenses. Arsenal haven’t conceded a single clear-cut chance in the first four rounds—a feat no other team has achieved. Meanwhile, Man City have faced eight dangerous opportunities in the same period.
The Gunners' confidence is boosted by the impressive form of new signing Cristhian Mosquera, who has replaced William Saliba at center-back. Whoever plays this weekend, Arsenal will believe they can contain Haaland, the biggest challenge facing every Premier League defense.
Hong Duy (via Premier League)
