Man City VS Arsenal, the perfect stage for Premier League youngsters?
The restart of football has a sense of anticipation that mirrors a new season, so it is easy to forget that only nine games remain. Typically, at this stage of a season there are teams with very little reward to play for, such as mid table sides who have avoided relegation, or title challengers who have already fallen out of reach. Nevertheless, this can pave the way for opportunities being given to young prospects, with very little risk for the clubs. Moreover, as matches are being played behind closed doors there will be less pressure and youngsters may benefit, especially when they have never played on such a grand stage.
Sitting in second place, 25 points behind Liverpool, Manchester City have little to play for during the remainder of Premier League season. Having many extremely talented youngsters the club is often criticized for not giving these players enough game-time, this could be the perfect situation to silence those critics. One of the brightest English talents is Man City’s Phil Foden, and his manager Pep Guardiola even stated that Foden is ‘the most talented’ player he has ever seen. Foden’s opportunity to truly become decisive player in the Manchester City squad is likely to come during the conclusion of the 19/20 season. From what we have seen from Foden thus far he is more than capable enough of taking on this challenge and becoming a key performer for both City and England. This period will show whether Guardiola’s praise of Foden was genuine or just a throw away comment.
Even though Arsenal sit within contention for Champions League football, most would agree that securing a spot in football’s most prestigious club competition is a long shot. However, with reduced expectations comes increased opportunities. One of the few positives of Arsenal’s Premier League campaign has been the emergence of Bukayo Saka. The England U21 international has been frequently used in the Left Back spot and has drawn high praise with comparisons to Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies. Similar to Davies, Saka’s ability to be versatile in his positioning on the left flank has led to increased opportunities. Moreover, with Saka only having a year remaining on his current deal, Arsenal must prove that he is a part of their long-term vision. Regular starts across these next these 9 games could go a long way in securing Saka’s future. Saka has all the required attributes to be a top Premier League player for the next decade. The restart of the season may represent the next meaningful steps on Saka’s journey.
Both Foden and Saka have the potential to be leading talents in their respective positions for years to come and regulars for both club and country. The faith that Guardiola and Arteta show in these talented youngsters over the coming weeks is likely to define how quickly these expectations will transform into reality.