'Pep embracing the chaos ball!' - Man City fans react as Guardiola opts for unorthodox selection vs Arsenal

Erling Haaland will start against Arsenal this evening after being passed fit to play.

Haaland came off at half-time during Sunday's 3-1 win against Aston Villa after pulling up with what looked like a thigh injury during the opening 45 minutes. Concern over the forward's fitness inevitably looked forward to a potentially season-defining trip to the Emirates, with Pep Guardiola admitting on Tuesday that he did not know whether the Norwegian would be fit.

Such concerns were alleviated, however, when the team news emerged and fans saw Haaland's name on the sheet. The 22-year-old has been passed fit to lead the line in North London with Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish either side of him. Kevin De Bruyne will also start a second consecutive game, following his recent demotion to the bench.

LIVE: Arsenal vs City early team news and build-up

The Belgian starts alongside Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva in midfield, with Guardiola seemingly opting for the same formation that faced Villa in which the latter dropped into an auxiliary left-back role alongside a trio of Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake.

And as news broke of the team, City fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had a selection headache of his own for this evening, with Thomas Partey missing the game due to a muscular problem. The Ghanian international has been pivotal to the Gunners' success this season, and Arteta has been forced to work around his absence in this most crucial of games, with Jorginho coming in.

Former City striker Gabriel Jesus remains sidelined, following a long-term injury picked up during the World Cup.

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