By David 
Alright football fans, been digging into the Man City lineup for the Arsenal clash all week. Gut feeling says Pep’s gotta shake things up after some tough recent results. Players look tired, right? Yeah, felt like tracking the possibilities down myself.
My Process Was Basically This:
First, I looked at who’s knackered. Knew Rodri especially was looking shattered lately. Read a bunch of forums, yeah, just scrolling and seeing what other City fans reckon. Consensus was loud and clear: Rodri needs a break. Not taking sides, just reporting the noise!
Then, checked the actual injury list. Proper bad luck with guys like Grealish out and Stones only just crawling back. Walker holding his hamstring last match? Yeah, saw it too. Doesn’t fill you with confidence for a high-stakes game like this. Makes predicting the bench nearly impossible, mate.
Started mentally swapping players out. This is where it gets messy in my head. For Rodri, you’ve got:
- Kovacic? He could step in, seen him do it before.
- Lewis? Young, energetic, might be worth the gamble for Pep.
- Nunes? Looked… meh… when he played lately, just being honest.
Honestly felt Kovacic was the safest bet based on pure experience alone.
Defence was next headache. Walker iffy? Right, then who? Akanji probably shifts over. Stones might be fit enough for a start? Big ask after injuries. Gvardiol stays? Likely, left side’s his. Ruben Dias? Yeah, automatic starter if breathing. This bit took ages to figure out properly.
Up front, simpler. Mostly. Haaland? Obvious. Play him. Foden buzzing? Yeah, he stays. Bernardo Silva started slow? Still feel he’s Pep’s go-to guy for big matches. De Bruyne? If fit, starts. Always. Had to factor in Alvarez being a livewire sub option too. Kept that in the back pocket.
So, My Final Gut-Call Changes?
- Rodri OUT ➔ Kovacic IN. Pure workload management. He just can’t play every minute.
- Walker? Maybe OUT ➔ Akanji IN at RB. Just think Pep protects him if there’s any doubt.
- Stones IN ➔ If fit. Probably replaces Akanji centrally if Walker doesn’t start… see how messy?!
- Grealish still OUT. No surprises there, sadly.
Watching the team news drop will be brutal, seeing how wrong I got it! Pep loves his surprises. Maybe he throws Rico Lewis in for pace against Saka? Maybe Stones ain’t ready? Total lottery sometimes. Just hoping the lads put in a shift and get the result. Pep’s genius headaches, huh? What you all reckon?
