London - Sven-Goran Eriksson faces what could be the toughest test of his short career as Manchester City manager on Saturday when he takes his team to Arsenal.
The City team that surged to the top of the English Premiership with last weekend's 1-0 win over fierce rivals Manchester United contained six players that had never played in England until Eriksson signed them in the off-season.
That left City as the only team with a maximum nine points from their opening three games, two more than Chelsea, who host Portsmouth in another of Saturday's eight games.
"A lot of people didn't know about some of our players," Eriksson said. "But we will not have that advantage anymore because the managers show videos about the opposition from the previous weeks.
"I know that Arsene Wenger will do it, so I don't think we will live on surprising people any more."
That gives Eriksson a chance to show he still has the tactical ability that made him the only manager to win the league and cup in the same season in three different countries.
His reputation suffered during five years as England manager, when he was characterised as passionless and predictable, but he has already shown himself capable of identifying players likely to succeed and forming a team from them in a short space of time.
Defenders Javier Garrido and Vedran Corluka, midfielders Elano and Martin Petrov, and forwards Geovanni and Valeri Bojinov all started at home against defending champions United last Sunday.
First team
Former Brazil international Geovanni, one of Eriksson's eight pre-season signings, scored with a 25m deflected shot in the 31st minute at the City of Manchester Stadium.
However, Eriksson is again likely to rely on veteran Didier Hamann to steady the midfield at the Gunners' Emirates Stadium. Hamann has led the midfield alongside Michael Johnson and Stephen Ireland, who both graduated to the first team from the club's youth sides.
"Over the first three games, Didi Hamann has been excellent and he is a calm guy," Eriksson said. "You can give him the ball and he will not give it away.
"He speaks and guides the young players."
Against Arsenal, Eriksson will need Hamann to show all the experience he accumulated in a career that included Champions League and Uefa Cup wins with Liverpool.
Wenger will likely have Emmanuel Adebayor fit after a groin injury and can pair the Togo striker with Robin van Persie in his first-choice forward partnership, leaving Hamann to break up the attacks.
Midfielder Aleksandr Hleb supported Van Persie and scored in each of his first two games of the season, but is likely to stick to the wide role he filled in Sunday's 1-1 draw at Blackburn.
"Alex likes to play through the middle," Wenger said. "However, I cannot isolate Robin van Persie up there the whole year.
Derby
"It does not work on a longer period. It can work in some games but it cannot be the basis of your game. You need two strikers."
In other matches, Fulham visit Aston Villa, Reading travel to Bolton, Birmingham play Derby, Blackburn take on Everton, Liverpool and Sunderland clash, and Wigan face West Ham in Saturday's other matches.
Manchester United get the chance to put their defeat to City behind them and secure a first win of the season when they host troubled Tottenham in one of Sunday's two games.
Spurs rallied from two straight losses to beat Derby 4-0 last Saturday, but the club was reportedly rebuffed in their attempt to hire Sevilla's Juande Ramos to replace manager Martin Jol.
United will again be without the injured Wayne Rooney and the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford, while Tottenham may be able to field left-back Gareth Bale for the first time since signing him from Southampton in May.
Bale played the first half of Wales' 1-0 friendly win at Bulgaria on Wednesday as he continued his recovery from thigh and knee injuries, but Spurs captain Ledley King will again be missing.
In Sunday's other match Middlesbrough host Newcastle.
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