Arsenal’s returning stars give Gunners renewed hope ahead of Manchester City showdown

Expectations at Arsenal have been low in recent years but the mood has never been quite as modest or coy as it is in the current season.

After back-to-back defeats to Brentford and Chelsea in the Premier League, it is easy to see why many Arsenal fans are not too enthused about the team.

However, Mikel Arteta’s side managed to repair a bit of the damage by thrashing West Bromwich Albion 6-0 in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

The biggest question now, however, is whether they can replicate their mid-week performance when they travel to face defending champions Manchester City on Saturday.

💬 "It will be a massive lift to go up to Manchester, against the champions, and get the win. It will change the narrative a lot."🎙 @M8Arteta

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 26, 2021

Gunners target first league win of the season

It’s been decades since Arsenal last lost each of their opening three league matches and Arteta would certainly not want to have such an unwanted record on his CV.

But the Gunners are coming up against an opponent who is equally desperately in need of points. Manchester City are currently trailing Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United on the league table and are eager to catch up.

That means the Cityzens will not be going easy on Arteta’s side. Among the two teams, though, Arsenal are the ones with zero points and more desperate for a result.

Everything seems to be going against the Gunners, who haven’t beaten Manchester City in the Premier League since 2015, but Arsenal cannot afford to lose again after their disastrous start to the season.

🔴 Games: 150⚽️ Goals: 88@M8Arteta was full of praise for @Auba in today's press conference 👇

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 26, 2021

Aubameyang, other returning stars boost Arsenal’s chances

The feeling around Arsenal may not be the best at the moment but fans can take inspiration from the team’s performance against West Brom on Wednesday.

The Gunners were dominant against the Baggies, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Nicolas Pepe and Bukayo Saka all starring.

There is no doubt that Arsenal have often suffered without the aforementioned players and not having them available in their opening two league games certainly took its toll on the team.

"There has [been a momentum shift]. We need our best players and we need a squad that is fit and healthy and then we can prepare much [more] with certain normality,” Arteta said in the pre-match conference, as quoted by Arsenal.com.

"After losing you want to win straight away. It lifts the confidence, the mood, and this is what we’re here for.

“It was a big performance last night and we’re through in the cup and our focus again in two days is travelling to Manchester to face the champions. We have to be at our best.”

Arsenal are underdogs against Manchester City but the return of Aubameyang and other stars offers renewed hope for the Gunners and their manager.