Ruben Dias to start, Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland combination – Predicted XI Manchester City vs Arsenal (Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round)

Manchester City will look to further increase their chances of securing three trophies this season, as they return to Emirates FA Cup action against Premier League rivals Arsenal in the fourth round.

City are showing glimmers of their previous indispensable form after a fantastic comeback against Tottenham at home last week, and a decisive 3-0 win against Wolves over the weekend to follow.

The likes of Riyad Mahrez and Erling Haaland have been central to pushing Manchester City’s hopes of retaining the Premier League title, with the latter having picked up a hat-trick last time out – his fourth treble in just 19 games at the club.

This is the first time City will be facing Arsenal in the 2022/23 campaign, with the Gunners currently five points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

Manchester City’s recent performance in the FA Cup was strong however, having beaten Chelsea 4-0 in the third round of the competition, with the goals coming from Riyad Mahrez, Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden.

Friday night’s game is certainly crucial to Manchester City’s hopes of winning three trophies this season, and the Gunners’ fantastic form at present will pose a huge threat to Pep Guardiola’s side.

Ahead of the upcoming Emirates FA Cup fourth round tie against Mikel Arteta’s side, here is how we predict Pep Guardiola will set up his Manchester City line-up against his former colleague.

Predicted XI

Stefan Ortega will start in goal and continue his FA cup appearances over Ederson.

Kyle Walker will also have a strong chance of making the starting line-up after being named on the bench on the weekend against Wolves, giving break-out academy player Rico Lewis a rest following his substitution at half-time.

Manuel Akanji has proved his capabilities as a centre-back so far this season, being consistently rotated in defence and perform to the highest standards when called upon. A fit Ruben Dias should pair alongside the Swiss international, with Manchester City arguably missing his decisive leadership during his absence through a muscular injury.

Nathan Ake should also continue to start at left-back to complete the back four, ahead of Joao Cancelo, with Pep Guardiola having praised the Dutchman’s consistently strong performances throughout the course of the season.

Rodrigo should retain his usual position as the lone defensive midfielder, and Kevin De Bruyne is also expected to operate in central midfield.

Having been out of sorts in his past few games for Manchester City, given his exceptionally high standards, he nonetheless picked up a key assist against Wolves last weekend – showing his quality despite a lapse in form.

Like Kyle Walker in defence, Bernardo Silva should have a strong chance of making the starting line-up having been named among the substitutes last weekend.

Riyad Mahrez will be the most likely to make the starting line-up alongside a certain Norwegian forward, having been nominated for the Premier League’s Player of the Month award for January. The Algerian has been in fantastic form following the World Cup, picking up two goals and being a key figure in Manchester City’s comeback against Spurs last week.

Erling Haaland should operate in his element as the lone striker, after picking up a hat-trick against Wolves. The Norway international striker is back to his prolific goal-scoring ways and will be keen to add to his tally against the Gunners.

Despite Jack Grealish’s impressive performance against Wolves, Pep Guardiola may use his usual rotation options and bring Julian Alvarez back into the starting line-up on Friday night.

Predicted XI: Ortega; Walker, Akanji, Dias, Ake; Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Bernardo; Mahrez, Haaland, Alvarez.

Substitutes: Ederson, Lewis, Stones, Laporte, Cancelo, Phillips, Gundogan, Grealish, Foden.