Is this day the demons are banished for Arsenal? Or will Mikel Arteta's men come up short once again in the Premier League title race?
Three years ago, the Gunners travelled to the Etihad boasting a five-point lead over reigning champions Manchester City, albeit with Pep Guardiola's side having the benefit of two games in hand on their title rivals.
It felt like a must-win as far as the visitors were concerned, although there was simply a difference in class on the day, with Kevin De Bruyne and co running riot in that thumping 4-1 win for the hosts.
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Very much like in April 2023, the title won't be won this afternoon, but it very much might be lost if Arsenal are to fall short again, with Arteta facing arguably the most important selection decisions of his time in north London to date.
Why Gyokeres & Havertz could both drop out at the Etihad
Fitness-permitting, the backline and the midfield unit will pick itself at the Etihad, with the key concern likely to be Arsenal's attacking configuration, particularly through the middle.
It's fair to say that the use of Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres as a partnership in last weekend's defeat to Bournemouth backfired, with the German looking particularly laboured in that number ten berth.
Gyokeres, to his credit, ran the channels and converted from the penalty spot, although he followed that up with a rather limp showing against former club Sporting CP in midweek, hooked after 56 minutes having registered just 14 touches all night.
Gyokeres-Arsenal-Arteta
There will also be the concern regarding the Swede's prior record against the Premier League's elite this season, failing to score in any so-called 'Big Six' clash, excluding against relegation strugglers, Tottenham Hotspur.
When push has come to shove, the 27-year-old has gone missing in those crunch outings, having not even registered a single shot in last month's Carabao Cup final defeat, after previously struggling in the prior league meeting between the pair.
FFC in-text wider Gyokeres
Havertz, meanwhile, squandered his key chance in the early stages of that Wembley encounter, with the former Chelsea man yet to score in what has been an injury-hit Premier League season.
Neither forward came to the party when the two sides met back in March, ensuring Arteta could deploy a different approach this time around.
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It's approaching now or never for the Gunners under this Arteta regime, with someone needing to step up to the plate and grab this title race by the horns.
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There's limping over the line and there's what Arsenal have been doing in recent weeks, with one attacking star particularly struggling.
Back in 2001/02, the final seven games of that Premier League season notably saw Swedish hero, Freddie Ljungberg, score six goals in the run-in, while it was his initial attempt which led to Sylvain Wiltord's title clincher at Old Trafford.
Ever the man for the big occasion, Ljungberg had already netted against both Manchester United and Liverpool earlier in the campaign, having also gone on to score in the subsequent FA Cup final win over Chelsea.
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While typically deployed off the right, Ljungberg at his best was a true matchwinner and game-changer for Arsene Wenger's side, something that Leandro Trossard could well be in the present day.
Hailed as the "modern-day Freddie Ljungberg" by reporter James Dodd, Trossard has had his own standout moments in an Arsenal shirt to date, memorably netting against City in the Community Shield triumph in 2023.
Across his time both at the Emirates and with former club Brighton and Hove Albion, he's scored six against Liverpool, four against Chelsea, four against Spurs, four against Aston Villa, three against Man City and two against Manchester United, a repeated thorn in the side of the division's elite.
That has come with the Belgian typically operating off the left flank, although the trip to the Etihad could offer the chance to shift to a central, false nine role, considering the woes of both Havertz and Gyokeres.
Arsenal XI vs Man City - April 2023
Position
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RB
CB
CB
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RW
ST
LW
When operating as a centre-forward or second striker in his career to date, he has scored or assisted 35 times in 71 games, as per Transfermarkt, showcasing why it wouldn't necessarily be throwing him in the deep end.
At Arsenal, more specifically, his record as a centre-forward stands at 20 goals and assists in just 25 games, with three in eight games as a second striker.
He may not be the obvious target man like Havertz and Gyokeres, but that approach doesn't appear to be working right now, with Marc Guehi and co likely to relish that kind of physical tussle.
Having Trossard dropping deep could cause greater confusion in that sense, with the 31-year-old also no slouch himself in front of goal, with his tally of five league goals this season only bettered by Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka and Gyokeres in Arteta's ranks.
Trossard-Arsenal
It is at this stage of the season where the elite players come to the fore, much like Ljungberg and co in their pomp, with Trossard having the chance to cement legendary status of his own with a match-winning performance on Sunday.
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