Thomas Partey MISSES Arsenal's crunch Premier League clash against Manchester City at the Emirates due to injury, with Ben White dropped to the bench... while Erling Haaland starts for the visitors

Thomas Partey has been left out of Arsenal's crunch Premier League clash against Manchester City tonight, having emerged as a doubt prior to kick-off due to a muscular injury. 

The 29-year-old midfielder has been an instrumental figure in Mikel Arteta's side throughout their stellar campaign, and his absence will come as a major blow to the Spaniard in what is undoubtedly their most important game of the season to date. 

Arsenal go into the game three points ahead of Pep Guardiola's side, but due to City's superior goal difference they will fall to second with defeat at the Emirates - albeit with a game in hand. 

It was City who emerged victorious when the pair met late in January, sealing a 1-0 victory at the Etihad to progress to the FA Cup fifth round. Arsenal have since lost to Everton and drawn to Brentford. 

City were also facing an anxious wait over the fitness of star striker Erling Haaland, who limped off in their 3-1 win over Aston Villa over the weekend, but the Norwegian has recovered and is involved from the off tonight. 

Thomas Partey is absent for Arsenal in the crunch Premier League game against Man City

Partey aside, the big surprise in the Arsenal team is that Ben White has been dropped to the bench with Arteta instead opting for Takehiro Tomiyasu.

The rest of the team largely picks itself with William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Oleksandr Zinchenko sitting in front of Aaron Ramsdale at the back. 

The Gunners' defensive record has been superb this season, conceding only 18 goals in the Premier League to date, though they haven't kept a clean sheet since beating Tottenham 2-0 away on January 15. 

Further forward, Granit Xhaka and Martin Odegaard keep their places in midfield alongside Jorginho, while Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli start behind Eddie Nketiah up top. 

As for City, it appears they have gone for a 3-2-4-1 system with Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake at the back in front of Ederson.

Bernardo Silva and Rodri are in defensive midfield, behind the four of Jack Grealish, Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez, with Erling Haaland up front. 

Confirmed Arsenal XI (4-3-3):  Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Jorginho, Xhaka, Odegaard; Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli. 

Confirmed Man City XI (3-2-4-1): Ederson; Walker, Dias, Ake; Rodri, Silva; Mahrez, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Grealish; Haaland