Arsenal will limit the gap to the Premier League leaders Liverpool when they are confronted in the Emirates on Sunday opposite reigning champions Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola hit the Gunners to the title in the past two seasons, but are not at the pace this season.
Man City could, however, take the latest title challenge from Arsenal with an extram of the Headline match of the weekend.
After beating Chelsea 3-1 last time back to the top four after beating Chelsea, Man City will try to cut a six-point hole on the Gunners.
The side of Mikel Arteta has prevailed in recent matches between the parties, which have become unbeaten in their last four meetings with Man City, but will be Saka, Ben White and Gabriel Jesus without Bukayo.
Mail Sport reveals which available players are included in our Arsenal-Manchester City combined XI, with a number of difficult decisions that have been made.
Goalkeeper: David Raya
Starting in Doel, David Raya gets the kink for Edererson thanks to his impressive versions, but also because of the lack of shape of Man City's goalkeeper.
The defense of Arsenal sometimes lacked the firmness of last season and has admitted eight times two or more goals, but only Matz Sels from Nottingham Forest has more clean sheets than Raya since the start of the campaign.
The Spaniard has the third highest savings percentage in the competition and has made two remarkable double rescues, against Aston Villa and Atalanta, with its power of world class.
In the meantime, Ederson has received quite a bit of criticism this season, with only three clean sheets being held in 15 starts, with Pep Guardiola even at Stefan Ortega on four different occasions in the competition in the competition.
Directly back: Jurrien Timber
With the defensive injuries of Manchester City and the dramatic exit of Kyle Walker from the club, Matheus Nunes has finished right in front of Guardiola with mixed results.
Nunes is technically talented and offers more about the ball than Walker has done in recent months, but his defensive vulnerability makes Timber an easy selection in this combined XI.
The Dutch defender has been a praise substitute for the absent Ben White, who, in the second all league games of Arsenal, start the Gunners points in two of those four games.
Center Back: William Saliba
It is not surprising that it is Arsenal who dominates the four of this starting XI, with Saliba a guaranteed selection, given that he is one of the best defenders in the competition on his day.
Arsenal has drawn on both occasions that the 23-year-old has missed in the competition, admitted to Liverpool and Aston Villa, but two goals admitted in both games, emphasizes the impact of the Frenchman.
Ruben Dias and John Stones have been vital in recent years for the competition success of Manchester City, but their consistent injury problems and lack of clean sheets means that they do not come close to a current Arsenal and Manchester City combined with XI.
Center Back: Gabriel Magalhaes
In addition to Saliba, Gabriel is one of, if not the best center-back couples in the competition. Gabriel's physicality and aggressiveness compliment the speed, consciousness and calmness of Saliba on the ball.
The Brazilian earned a place in the PFA team of the year last season and continued these versions in 2024/25, while also adding a level of attacking capacity that few defenders can match.
The set piece threat from Arsenal is highly praised this year, and this is largely due to the presence of Gabriel, with Josko Gvardiol the only defender to improve his goal of three.
Left Back: Josko Gvardiol
As mentioned above, Gvardiol's count of five goals is a phenomenal return for a defender, but his versions at the back have been inconsistent.
Too often he is out of position or careless in marking, and although City has not kept most of their defenders fully fit, Gvardiol has played the majority of the matches for a city side that have only kept five clean sheets in the competition.
The left back-slot of Arsenal has been their only inconsistency in a solid backline, with Riccardo Calafiori, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Myles Lewis-Skelly who rotated the entire season.
Calafiori has impressed the ball, but has only started eight league games, which means that Gvardiol takes the left place.
Defensive midfield: Mateo Kovacic
Rodri was the cornerstone of the three consecutive Premier League titles of Manchester City, so Kovacic would always struggle to replace the Ballon d'Or winner, but his place in this combined XI is secured thanks to his defensive skills.
The Croatian International is neat on the ball, checks the game well in front of Guardiola and is a strong tackler, even if the city looked vulnerable since Rodri's long -term injury.
Kovacic comes for Bernardo Silva, because the attacking capacity of both parties requires a midfield dealer, while Jorginho and Mikel Merino did not have impressed Arsenal.
Defensive Midfield: Declan Rice
Rice's ability to influence competitions from everywhere in the field gives him a place in this XI. He constantly breaks out opposition attacks through tireless running and strong challenges, and his ability to read the game has been improved year after year.
For one side that often comes to the counter, his role in retaining possession and then helping arteta's side transition to attack is of vital importance.
Although his target contributions have dried somewhat this season, his Dead-Ball delivery is an important asset to an arsenal side that is highly dependent on set pieces.
Relocating Ilkay Gundogan was seen by many as an astute piece of transfer company, but the German midfielder sometimes looked long -legged and a shadow of his former self, so Rice left an easy choice for a combined XI.
Right Wing: Phil Foden
With Bukayo Saka an absent in the long term for Arsenal, it is the player of the year of last season that has been nailed to the right -hand place. Foden's early seasonal form left a lot to be desired, but in recent weeks he has shown flashes of his usual sparkle.
In his last six starts, FODEN has eight goals contributions, and if City has to secure a top-four place for the 15th consecutive season, he will have to play an important role.
If Saka had been completely fit, he would undoubtedly have taken the place of his fellow countryman in this combined XI because of his sparkling early season, but Arsenal still miss their Talismanic young person.
Attacking midfielder: Martin Odegaard
In a similar story as Foden, Odegaard did not succeed in continuing the sparkle of last season, and his place in this side is perhaps a proof of both the recent struggles of Manchester City and the lack of open-play threat from Arsenal.
Injuries have hindered its campaign, but four target contributions in 14 League Starts are a serious decline to the 18 goals and assists of last year.
Odegaard was not helped by Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz, who have all achieved badly, but the creativity of the Norwegian is still at a level of world class on his day.
Left Wing: Kevin De Bruyne
In addition to Rodri, De Bruyne is one of the key figures in the dominance of the city of English football, and although his genius may be faltering, his injuries clearly hinders his ability to save the faltering season of the city.
However, the Belgian still has eight goals contributions, the same number as Martinelli and Trossard, in less starts than the arsenal pair.
When De Bruyne still has the opportunity to create opportunities like few others and therefore secures its place in this XI.
Striker: Erling Haaland
It is easy to forget that Haaland has 18 goals in the competition this season, where only Mo Salah improves that count.
He started the campaign when he left and insisted back-to-back Hattrucs before a drought of four goals in ten games made many considered whether he contributed enough to the city's playing style.
Since then, the normality seems to have resumed, with five goals in so many competitions, in which the Norwegian has undoubtedly helped by the signing of Omar Marmoush and Foden's return to form.
His place in this starting XI is not threatened by Kai Havertz, whose performance at the top for Arsenal has led to constant rumors that Arsenal insists to sign the red -hot striker Alexander Isak of Newcastle.
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