Tuesday 22 December 2015 11:15, UK
Two of the most creative playmakers in European football clash at the Emirates when Arsenal host Manchester City in the final Monday Night Football of 2015.
With one point separating the teams, the performances of club record signings Mesut Ozil and Kevin De Bruyne should be crucial in deciding which side is triumphant on the night.
Ozil is displaying the kind of form this season that persuaded Arsene Wenger to part with the best part of £43m in September 2013. He leads the way in terms of assists and chances created in Europe's top five leagues this season.
Ozil has made 11 assists in the last 10 Premier League games, including a new Premier League record of making an assist in seven consecutive games.
At the Emirates, his performances have been impressive, recording an assist in each of the last five Premier League home games as well as scoring in the 3-0 win against Manchester United in October.
Ozil has settled into his role at Arsenal with 13 assists in 15 Premier League appearances this season - only one assist shy of the total that he made in his first two seasons with the Gunners combined.
His creative talents should be no surprise to anybody - since August 2008 his 99 league assists have only been surpassed by Lionel Messi's total of 100 in Europe's top five leagues.
But Manchester City's most expensive playmaker is delivering too.
The club record fee of £54.5m that Manchester City spent on their long term target Kevin De Bruyne this summer is already looking like money well spent.
The former Chelsea attacking midfielder returns to London on Monday with an impressive tally of nine goals and eight assists in 21 appearances since joining from Wolfsburg.
In the Premier League De Bruyne has scored four goals and made six assists in 12 appearances this season, the same figures that Ozil recorded in his first 12 Premier League appearances for Arsenal.
His form since the start of last season for Wolfsburg and Manchester City has been nothing short of sensational. Since August 2014 no player has bettered his tally of 26 league assists in Europe's top five leagues which is four more than Barcelona's Messi.
In the same period he has also scored 14 league goals, which is eight more than Ozil.
De Bruyne's influence has mainly been seen at the Etihad this season. In his last 12 away league appearances for Wolfsburg and Manchester City he has failed to register an assist and scored just once, with his only goal in the 4-1 defeat at Arsenal's north London neighbours Tottenham.
Manuel Pellegrini's men have failed to score in their last three Premier League away games and De Bruyne will be crucial to Man City's hopes of avoiding a fourth successive away game without a goal, something that has not happened to the club in almost 10 years.
If De Bruyne can reproduce his home form at the Emirates on Monday, Man City will have an excellent chance at recording only their second Premier League win at Arsenal.
Arsene Wenger will hoping that his own magician can continue his strong form and help lead his side to victory in the final Premier League game before Christmas.
