Paul Merson now claims Arsenal chances of a win against Man City depends on three players

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Arsenal will face Manchester City in a game which could have a major impact on the Premier League title race tomorrow.

Mikel Arteta is facing several injury doubts as Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Magalhaes all failed to train on Friday, but the hosts may also be missing some key players.

Pep Guardiola claimed that Kyle Walker and John Stones are not ready for the game after picking up injuries playing for England, but Stones has played against Arsenal in the past despite Guardiola ruling him out on other occasions.

Arsenal icon Paul Merson has now claimed that if Arsenal are to get a positive result against Man City, they will have to hope that Guardiola is without three of his key stars.

Paul Merson names Man City trio as game-changing for Arsenal result

Writing for SportsKeeda, Merson claimed that the only way Arsenal can come away with a result at the Etihad Stadium is if Kevin de Bruyne, Walker and Stones are indeed absent.

“If Kyle Walker and John Stones don’t play, I don’t see Arsenal not getting a result here,” he explained.

“If all the players are fit for City, they will win this, because they just turn up and win big football matches. This result will hinge on the fitness of the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Walker and Stones.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves – the Gunners are still well behind City in terms of overall quality, because it is scary how good Pep Guardiola’s side can be when they are on song.

“They ve won 19 and drawn three since last tasting defeat against Aston Villa in December. That’s what Arsenal are up against.”

Can Arsenal win at Manchester City?

Arsenal beat Man City 1-0 in the reverse fixture, but Guardiola was without Rodri and De Bruyne, and Stones could only come on for the last 20 minutes.

However, Arteta was without Saka, with Martinelli only fit to come off the bench, and he found a way to gain a result without key players.

READ MORE: Arsenal’s XI from Bukayo Saka’s first-team debut

Man City’s home form, and Arsenal’s record at the Etihad, make this an incredibly difficult fixture, but if Walker and Stones are missing, it could help the Gunners on the left-hand side. Nevertheless, if Martinelli is unavailable, his speed, particularly without Walker, will be missed.

Arsenal will face City with a different level of belief and physicality than in the past, and a win cannot be ruled out even if De Bruyne and Stones feature.