ManCity will confront Arsenal in an epic battle on Dec 21 .Mancity beat Swanse 2-1 and Arsenal beat Aston Villa 2-0.
Manchester City have received a massive boost ahead of Monday’s crunch clash against Arsenal with striker Sergio Aguero returning to full training.

The Argentine striker limped off in the Citizens’ 3-1 win over Southampton last month with a heel injury.

The injury was initially thought to be a minor one, but has seen the mercurial striker miss Manchester City’s league games against Hull, Stoke City and Swansea City, and also their Champions League clash against Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side travel to the Emirates Stadium to take on the Gunners on Monday night in a clash of the title-contenders.
According to Manchester City’s official website, the 27-year-old returned to normal training today and barring another hiccup should be fit to face Arsene Wenger’s side.

The Gunners currently sit in second position in the league table, two points behind leaders Leicester City. The Citizens are one point behind Arsenal and find themselves in third place.

Aguero was the Premier League's top scorer last season with 26 goals to his name and has already scored nine goals in 14 appearances in all competitions this season.

Match Officials
Referee: Andre Marriner
Assistants: John Brooks and Mick McDonough
4th Official: Craig Pawson
This Match, Last Year: Arsenal 2 - 2 Manchester City
All-Time in All Competitions: 95 Arsenal wins, 49 Manchester City wins, 43 draws
Arsenal's League Form: W-D-L-D-W-W
Manchester City's League Form: W-D-L-W-L-W

Okay. Bigger issues ahead, namely, a top of the table six-pointer between Arsenal and Manchester City on Monday night. It's a little early to be talking about title implications; there will be 21 matches left in the season for both clubs after all is said and done on Monday. However, with Manchester City struggling at the moment and Arsenal searching for fitness and consistency, the psychological ramifications feel much larger than the three points in the table.

It's a big test for Arsenal, no doubt about that. It's a test of their title winning credentials. Even though these three points count the same in the table as any others, this is the kind of win that can buoy the club to bigger and better things down the line.

Arsenal Squad News

Out: Cazorla (knee,) Coquelin (knee,) Arteta (calf,) Welbeck (knee,) Wilshere (ankle,) Rosicky (knee)
Doubts: Alexis (hamstring)

With Manchester City's announcement that Sergio Aguero was back in training this week, all eyes moved to Alexis Sanchez, who remains a doubt with the hamstring injury he suffered against Norwich on November 29. There's a sense that if Aguero is back, well, Arsenal will need Alexis back too, like it's some sort of arms race (or, in the case of their respective injuries, more of a legs race.)

Listen, obviously it would be great if Arsenal were at full strength for this top-of-the-table clash, but a less than 100% fit Alexis Sanchez can be a hindrance to Arsenal's offensive flow, especially if his ball control is sub-par by his standards. Arsene Wenger has stated that Alexis has a "very slight chance" of featuring on Monday, which means Alexis is probably writing his name onto the team sheet in indelible ink as we speak.

Elsewhere in the squad, Arsenal will have the same players available that were involved in last week's win over Aston Villa; no new injuries and no further returning players. Mikel Arteta should be the next player back after Alexis; he presumably will be available again during the holiday fixture period.

As for the long term, Danny Welbeck has had a setback in his injury recovery because of course he has. Jack Wilshere and Tomas Rosicky are now hovering in the early and late January range, respectively, which is really putting their LANS status in doubt during the January window. It's probably late February at best for Francis Coquelin's return and we'll have to keep our fingers crossed on Santi Cazorla's recovery from surgery.

Predicted XI: Cech, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Flamini, Ramsey, Campbell, Walcott, Ozil, Giroud.

Manchester City Squad News

Out: Fernando (hamstring,) Nasri (hamstring)
Doubts: Kompany (calf,) Zabaleta (knee,) Aguero (heel)
I've already touched on Sergio Aguero's return from the heel injury that has kept him out since November 28; as is my standard operating procedure, I list any player on their way back from an absence in the "doubts" category, regardless of the size of that doubt. It's almost certain that Aguero will start up top for City; given his injury history, I wouldn't be surprised to see him limp off after a quarter of an hour, either.

Pablo Zabaleta has been out since October with a knee injury and is close to a return. I suspect he'll be short for this one, which would hand Bacary Sagna a start against his former club. Sagna has not looked like the same player since leaving the Emirates, though that might because he cut his braids and literally requires me to do a double-take to recognize him. Captain Vincent Kompany is on the less-likely-to-feature side of doubtful with a calf injury.

Fernando, whose kit still says FERNANDO.R like he's a Transformer or something, is likely to miss out with a hamstring injury, while former Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri is out with a hamstring injury of his own for a much longer period.

Predicted XI: Hart, Sagna, Otamendi, Mangala, Kolarov, Fernandinho, Toure, Sterling, De Bruyne, Silva, Aguero.
Arsenal are unbeaten in their last four competitive fixtures against Manchester City. That run started with a 1-1 draw at the Emirates two seasons ago and includes three meetings from last season. In the 2014/15 curtain raiser, Arsenal defeated City 3-0 for the Community Shield at Wembley. Regardless of what you may think of the Community Shield, it is still considered a competitive fixture.

Arsenal played well in this fixture last year, but could not find a win. The Gunners came out of the gate strong, but conceded first. They came from behind to lead 2-1 through Jack Wilshere and Alexis Sanchez, but a Mathieu Debuchy ankle injury, the first of his two devastating injuries last season, forced a reshuffle in the back line and Arsenal conceded the equalizer from a set piece. Then, City put Arsenal under pressure for a winner, but a potential Samir Nasri goal at the death (wouldn't that have sucked?) was ruled offside.

In January, the Gunners picked up their first win at the Etihad since 2010, winning a statement match 2-0. Santi Cazorla converted from the penalty spot in the first half and assisted through a set piece on an Olivier Giroud header to double the lead on 67 minutes. Arsenal defended well all game; City had nearly 65% of the possession and took 16 corners to Arsenal's three, but managed only four shots on target.

Manchester City have only one win in the red side of North London in their last 30 league games, a 2-0 win in 2013 aided by a 10th minute red card to Laurent Koscielny. Prior to 2013, City's last league win at Emirates/Highbury came on October 4, 1975 by a 3-2 scoreline.

http://www.themoderngooner.com/2015/12/preview-by-numbers-arsenal-v-manchester.html

Mourinho was here,EPL

This game will end in a draw 2-2, I've just made it easy for all you sport gamblers, trust me, I have psychic powers.

good

we are going to gun them down.Up Gunners

goood.. up assss

full time : Aguero1-1 Walcott

a win for man city

Both of them should just share the points because its Chelsea Football Club that is going to win the EPL at the end of the season.

After this game...Arsenal fans be like...#WengerOut

e go red tonight

a walkover for Arsenal

EndTime For Man City

My verdict for today's game Arsenal 1 - M'city 2

Up gunners...any team that try to block us from getting 3 points today will be as confuse as this team

I want to decamp to Leicester city, man u I'm sorry

Anyhow wey e wan end, Leicester City sha dey top table.
I support City for the win....Giroud to score an inconsequential goal

arsenal 3 mancity 1. am not an arsenal fan, but man city mumu wella without kompany

Both team are not serious at all KTBFFH



Let me wait here and watch what nonsense they want to perform

Arsenal is a dead team

I don show

dguizman:
[s]Up gunners...any team that try to block us from getting 3 points today will be as confuse as this team [/s]

GEJmustGO:
TmjAm

Meaning of this?
Is FTC ur birthryt?

richidinho:
Arsenal is a dead team

Dead and Buried

Team Arsenal

GEJmustGO:
Adt jamd

is FTC ur birthryt?