Owen Hargreaves says he will be shocked if ‘extraordinary’ player doesn’t start for Arsenal vs Man City

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Arsenal take on Manchester City in their fifth Premier League game of the season.

The Gunners have won three and lost one of their opening four fixtures and are currently second in the table, three points behind Liverpool.

A win over Manchester City on Sunday will push the Gunners six points clear of Pep Guardiola’s side, who have already lost twice this term.

Mikel Arteta will name a strong team, and Owen Hargreaves is convinced that one player will definitely start the game.

Owen Hargreaves says he will be ‘shocked’ if Martin Zubimendi doesn’t start for Arsenal vs Man City

Martin Zubimendi has impressed everyone since joining Arsenal.

The Spaniard had a good pre-season, and he has since shown his quality in the Premier League. Against Nottingham Forest, he even scored two goals, the first of which was a screamer.

However, a few pundits have expressed concerns that Zubimendi could struggle against Manchester City while marking their midfielders.

That led to suggestions over whether Declan Rice should start as a defensive midfielder, but Hargreaves believes Zubimendi will keep his place in the side.

Speaking on Premier League Productions’ Team Talks, he said: “Yeah, Zubimendi will play, just like you say, he’s a European champion, he knows how to play in a big game like this.

“You want to keep the ball against City, so I’d be shocked if Zubimendi didn’t play.”

Martin Zubimendi can prove Rodri right against Manchester City

Rodri is the best defensive midfielder in the world when everyone is fully fit.

The Spaniard won the Ballon d’Or in 2024 after his success at club and country, and despite his injury struggles, he is still the best in that role.

However, Rodri admitted recently that Zubimendi is the future of Spain’s midfield and tipped him to become one of the best in the world.

On Sunday, Zubimendi, hailed as ‘extraordinary’ by Xavi, will have the chance to outshine Rodri at the Emirates. If he does that, Arsenal will likely pick up all three points.