Arsene Wenger confident Arsenal can compete with Manchester City

Shkodran Mustafi is still sidelined while Santi Cazorla will not return to action at least until 2018.

Asked after Wednesday’s game how many more goals he could score and how long he will stay at City, Aguero said: ‘I don’t know. The win in Napoli has reverberated around Europe.

By contrast, they now have an abundance of riches in attack that should allow Guardiola to continue rotating and keep players fresh. United are playing Chelsea so we want to take advantage on one of them. “But they’ll need Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez fully fired up to do that”. Captain Vincent Kompany remains on the sidelines with a calf injury, but manager Guardiola hopes to have him back in training after the global break.

Pep Guardiola and Arsene Wenger last faced each other in the FA Cup semi-final and it was the Gunners who came out on top back in April. “We don’t want to break this record but we want to play good and beat them on Sunday”. “When I score it is better but the important thing is to win every game”.

With Arteta’s help, Sterling is well on course for the best goalscoring season of his career, and hopes to add to his total against Arsenal in the Premier League at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. Chelsea have beaten them 24 times.

City’s tally of 28 points equals the Premier League record after 10 games.

After 15 wins in 16 matches, during which time City have plundered 49 goals and been credited by some with elevating the game to heights seldom seen in England, expectations are mushrooming.

Silva has gone on to win two Premier League titles with Manchester City.

He has never scored more than 11 goals in a season, but has 10 already this term, with four in his past five matches. “He is an Arsenal player and the transfer window is closed”, Guardiola said, in effect shutting down the debate, though the feeling remains City retain an interest that may resurface in January.

At this stage last season, Arsenal were in second place on goal difference with 23 points. They now lie fifth, nine points off the lead.

The World Cup victor was on loan at Eibar from Valencia at the time and Arsenal were tracking his progress.

“More often than not they’re from De Bruyne and Silva, so if you concentrate when they’re on the ball you can stop the others”.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has hailed Fernandinho as “one of the best three holding midfielders in the world” with the Brazilian close to signing a new deal, sources have told ESPN FC.

Probability of away win: 14%.