Match day preview.

Beset by injuries, in the midst of an Henry contract stalemate and way off Chelsea at this early stage of the season - can we bury the dismal record of not having won at Highbury for donkeys years and extend our best ever Premiership start?
Odds are against you would imagine and Ladbrokes offer 5/1 against on us taking the points back with us. It is now seventeen games without a win against Arsenal, with the Gunners winning fourteen of those games in the process including a few heavy beatings at Maine Road in recent years. After last weeks defeat at West Brom, a win for City would mean that they will suffer back to back defeats for the first time in 111 games.
However, last season saw a slender 1-0 defeat at Eastlands before we took a point from Highbury thanks to a wonder strike from Shaun Wright-Phillips. In truth, Arsenal have not been overly impressive (by recent lofty standards) from what I have seen this season and even in taking away a 100% record in the Champions League they have not entirely convinced.
Team wise, unfortunately Henry is expected to play following his record-breaking return in the week but Reyes, Cole, Campbell, Ljunberg and Hleb all miss out. For City, Thatcher and Dunne are still out so we will likely be unchanged from last weeks win at home to West Ham.
Shackling Henry is a key tomorrow and the responisbility will fall even more so on Sylvain Distin with Dunne being out. Van Persie has looked very dangerous this season with more opportunity as well.
Defensively, they still remain strong with Senderos and Clichey filling in for England duo Campbell and Cole but if we are to take anything from the game it will be the midfield who continue their impressive start by dominating an Arsenal midfield missing key players and with Pires struggling for form. The key will be Joey Barton and if he can win the battle with Gilberto and Fabregas, this will allow Musampa and Ireland in particular to support Cole and Vassell.
I am hopeful we can come away with a point to continue our recent good form, but history is hard to against so predicition wise I'm going for Arsenal 2 City 1. Hopefully, my successes in predicting correct scores will come to an end.