Aguero starts for City, Walcott on the bench for Arsenal

MANCHESTER (Sporting Alert) — Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has named Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko in his starting line-up for the Barclays Premier League clash against Arsenal.

Dzeko has been doing well off the bench in recent games and the boss opted to start him, alongside Aguero, who makes his first start since suffering a knee injury on the season opening week.

Both Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez start this game on the bench, so too does Gareth Barry and Jack Rodwell, but Javi Garcia goes from the start.

Also starting at the Etihad Stadium is Scott Sinclair, who made a more from Swansea City in the summer.

Pablo Zabaleta and Joleon Lescott were too in the starting team, and they came into defence for Maicon and Matija Nastasic, who played in the Champions League defeat to Real Madrid in Spain.

Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger as again left winger Theo Walcott on the bench for Arsenal with fellow England international Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and forward Olivier Giroud also starting as subs as well.

Midweek heroes Gervinho and Lukas Podolski are both starting, with Abou Diaby, Laurent Koscielny and Santi Cazorla also in the starting XI.

Vito Mannone continues in goal.

Manchester City v Arsenal

Manchester City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy, Javi Garcia, Toure, Silva, Sinclair, Aguero, Dzeko. Subs: Pantilimon, Kolarov, Rodwell, Barry, Nastasic, Tevez, Balotelli.

Arsenal: Mannone, Jenkinson, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Ramsey, Diaby, Arteta, Cazorla, Gervinho, Podolski. Subs: Martinez, Andre Santos, Giroud, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Djourou, Coquelin.

Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)