Arsenal face Manchester City on Sunday afternoon looking to give fans at the Emirates some early Christmas cheer and end a run of four home games without a win.

The Gunners have not lost in three away games under Ljungberg, since he stepped in to replace sacked Spaniard Unai Emery.

This week they scored three times at West Ham in a comeback win, before showing character to come from two down and draw at Standard Liege.

But they return to the Emirates to face Pep Guardiola’s champions, having lost the Swede’s only home encounter - 2-1 against Brighton 11 days ago.

And Ljungberg has told his players that they need to stand up and be counted as they bid to change the mood around Ashburton Grove.

Can Ljungberg claim victory? (
Image:
Stuart MacFarlane)

“It’s the right of the fans to be like this.

“Of course, I want them to be with us because I know how much that means to the players.

“But I can also see that sometimes the players get a little bit down when it’s not like that.

“That’s something I will talk to them about. They know about it - but I’ll try to prepare them for it.

“I want to make sure we respect the voice of our fans. In my opinion, they are the club. We must always do our best for them.

“That’s what I’m trying to install in the players. I’ve told them: ‘If you get tired, that’s fine. I have subs to use. But don’t save yourselves’.

“In football today, in the Premier League, you need to go all the time – at 100 per cent.”

Aubameyang in training (
Image:
2019 The Arsenal Football Club Plc)
Chambers and Torreira are set to start (
Image:
2019 The Arsenal Football Club Plc)

Arsenal are without a number of key men, including Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney - in an ideal world, their first-choice fullbacks.

The Spaniard is out with a hamstring issue and £25million summer signing Tierney faces another spell on the sidelines with a shoulder problem.

Granit Xhaka (concussion), Dani Ceballos (hamstring) and Rob Holding (knee) are all also out too.

Will Ozil get the nod vs Man City? (
Image:
Stuart MacFarlane)

After experimenting with a back three in Europe in a much-changed side in Belgium, it seems likely that the Gunners will revert to the back four and the defensive partnership that claimed a win in Monday’s London derby: Calum Chambers and Sokratis.

Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is set to lead the line, while Nicolas Pepe and Gabriel Martinelli return in the wide roles.

The biggest questionwas whether Mesut Ozil would be trusted to start in a midfield three with Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira, or whether Ljungberg would spring a surprise in that area of the field - potentially by asking David Luiz to play a holding role.

He sticks with the German.

Arsenal Starting XI CONFIRMED: Leno; Maitland-Niles, Chambers, Sokratis, Kolasinac; Guendouzi, Torreira; Pepe, Ozil, Martinelli; Aubameyang