Gael Clichy makes bold Arsenal vs Man City prediction amid Rodri absence

Manchester City will be without suspended Rodri for their Premier League game at the Emirates Stadium.

Gael Clichy reckons Manchester City still have enough to sweep aside Arsenal in their impending Premier League showdown - even without the suspended Rodri.

Rodri is unavailable for the treble-winners at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon (4.30pm) as he serves the final game of a three-match ban. The hugely-important Spain midfielder, 27, was sent off for putting his hands to the throat of Nottingham Forest forward Morgan Gibbs-White during a 2-0 win last month.

In his domestic absence, City have been defeated by Wolves and Newcastle United in two different competitions, but Rodri did play in the Champions League on Wednesday night. The former Atletico Madrid man helped his team return to winning ways against German outfit RB Leipzig.

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Next up comes the sternest test for City so far this season, but Clichy, who played as a defender for both clubs in his own playing career, expects Pep Guardiola and his men to triumph.

Speaking with Genting Casino, the Frenchman said: "After coming up short last season, Arsenal will want to show the fans at the Emirates they can match Manchester City. But from a Manchester City perspective, I'm not worried about Rodri being out, because that midfield has so much quality.

"It will be an amazing game with very high intensity. Mikel Arteta is a copy of Pep Guardiola and you can see he's a mini-version of him in his tactics, on the touchline and in press conferences.

"I think Manchester City will win the game, they have so much quality and have [Erling] Haaland, who complicates how to defend against the whole team when he's so dangerous. All that Manchester City need to do is get the ball in the air to Haaland and he can hurt Arsenal."

Clichy added: "It's too early in the season to be a crucial game, because there will still be points to be dropped and won for the next few months. Manchester City and Arsenal have been the best two teams in the Premier League in these last 20 months, but this was always a game people thought Arsenal would struggle in."