Back with a bang: Why Samir Nasri will make Arsenal regret selling him

Third-placed Manchester City host league leaders Arsenal on Saturday lunchtime in a crunch fixture at the top of the Premier League table. City are currently six points behind the Gunners after 15 games but whoever comes out on top at the weekend will be the favourites for the title.

The home side have been in unbelievable form at the Etihad Stadium this season but have struggled in away games, to everyone’s bemusement. They will be very happy to be playing the league leaders on their own patch after three tricky away fixtures in the space of a week. City have scored 29 goals in seven home matches this season with Sergio Aguero, Alvaro Negredo and Yaya Toure receiving most of the plaudits for their fine early season performances. But one former Gunner, who was criticised for some lacklustre displays since his move to Manchester, has been in brilliant form himself this season. This man is Samir Nasri.

Arsenal will have to keep a very close eye on the French maestro this Saturday. He has the ability to carve open defences at will with intricate through balls, regularly finding space in between the lines and in the channel between the opposition’s centre-back and full-back. Nasri’s presence in the team gives City’s full-backs the space to overlap as he drags defenders inside with his clever runs both on and off the ball.

No player in the City squad has managed to create more chances for team-mates than Nasri (31) so far this season.

He is capable of producing everywhere in the final third, meaning he is very difficult to mark and keep quiet.

Despite spending a lot of his time trying to find space in between the lines of the opposition, it has no effect on his pass accuracy. Nasri finds a teammate with a pass 90% of the time and has already completed over 650 passes this season. His reliability on the ball is vital to City as they like to pass through teams and work the ball into the box. Thirty four of their 41 league goals have come inside the area with the likes of Nasri and David Silva crucial cogs in City’s passing machine.

But Nasri’s skills don’t end there. The Frenchman loves a dribble too, completing 77% of his take-ons so far this season. When a defender is able to track him, Nasri is capable of beating them with ease, making it extremely difficult to stop him playing.

He is such a well-rounded play-maker who is good with both feet and has an end product. Nasri has four goals to his name this season, converting 33.3% of his shots into goals.