Sunday’s FA Cup encounter with City is huge for the Gunners, and the Arsenal supporting punters here inside the Football Transfer Tavern are starting to get very excited!

Another trophyless season would be sure to further enrage the fans already calling for manager Arsene Wenger’s head, and a poor performance to match may be the final straw for many weary followers of the club.

Manchester City are a fantastic side, and head into the game as clear favourites.

Boasting an array of talent across the field, Arsenal will have to put in a miraculous performance if they are to prevent the Manchester side from reaching another cup final.

By kick off, Arsenal will already know who their potential opponents in the final will be, and if fierce rivals Tottenham can best league leaders Chelsea, then Arsenal fans will be drooling at the thought of meeting their old foes at the Home of Football.

City are a team with a strong core, and the talent they possess in the middle of the park often determines the results of matches.

Kevin De Bruyne and the wide pair of Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling are a constant threat, and Arsenal’s middlemen will have to out in a top performance to emerge victorious.

Here we take a look at which midfield men should be on Arsene Wenger’s team sheet this weekend….

Granit Xhaka

Despite his disciplinary problems and failure to truly live up to his huge summer transfer fee, the Swiss international should be in the side on Sunday.

Likely to be coming up against the formidable pair of Fernandinho and Yaya Toure, the Gunners will need a little bite in the middle to ensure the talented duo do not run proceedings from the middle.

Xhaka is guaranteed a booking in this game due to its magnitude and what will be a frenetic pace, but if the player keeps his cool, then he could have a massive influence on proceedings.

Xhaka will need to marshall the middle of the park and keep tabs on the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, who given an inch of space, will punish the Arsenal defence.

Xhaka will be needed to break up play and at times slow down the pace of the game, and a big performance is needed from the player if Arsenal are to progress.

Mohamed Elneny

Wenger opted for Aaron Ramsey against Middlesbrough on Monday night, but should turn to Elneny this weekend to quell City’s dangerous forwards.

If Wenger maintains his newly adopted formation of three at the back, then he should look to clog the middle of the park in order to allow his wing backs to push forward, and limit the space available to the Citizen’s play making stars.

Elneny could sit alongside Xhaka, giving the likes of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez an abundance of freedom, making the Gunners an extremely dangerous team offensively.

Whether Wenger sticks with Welshman Ramsey or brings Elneny back into the side remains to be seen, but the Egyptian would certainly be a tactically sound addition to the starting line up.

Mesut Ozil

German Ozil is one of Arsenal’s top performers, and is a dead cert to start the match.

If Wenger sits Elneny and Xhaka in the middle, there would be less emphasis on Ozil’s defensive duties, especially with a pair of wing backs set to be in operation as well.

Ozil is a world class player capable of taking a game by the scruff of the neck, and if the former Real Madrid man can find space out wide or down the middle, Arsenal will punish the City defence.

Alexis Sanchez

If Wenger continues with Olivier Giroud as a central striker, which he certainly should, then Alexis Sanchez will drop back into the midfield.

The second of Arsenal’s truly world class players, Sanchez will be the Gunners’ biggest threat on the day.

Top scorer in the side this season but recently omitted from the PFA Team of the Year, the Chilean will set out with a point to prove in front of the dignitaries from the FA at Wembley.

Sanchez is looking increasingly likely to depart the club this summer, and the cup is his last chance of acquiring more silverware with the Emirates side.

Sanchez will work across the front line, and will support the big Giroud up the top of the field. Arsenal will look to get the ball into the box for Giroud to attack, and you would struggle to find a better deliverer of the ball than Sanchez in the Arsenal squad.

Sanchez should be given free reign by his manager this weekend, and if that is the case, will cause a number of headaches for City’s defensive line on the day.