Arsenal vs. Manchester City: Players to Watch in Marquee Preseason Clash

Arsenal and Manchester City will face the first true test of the preseason when the two sides face off in the China Cup. It will be a good measuring-stick match for both teams with less than a month until the Premier League season begins.

Even though Arsene Wenger and Roberto Mancini will probably still treat the game like an exhibition, it should be a chance to see some more stars on the field at the same time.

Let's take a look at three players to keep an eye out for throughout the clash.

Sergio Aguero

Aguero led Manchester City's three-headed offensive attack last season, scoring 30 goals in 48 games across all competitions. The combination of Edin Dzeko, Mario Balotelli and the 24-year-old Argentine was a nightmare for opposing back lines no matter whom Mancini started.

It appears Aguero is ready to pick up right where he left off. He scored the game-winning goal against Besiktas in the team's most recent preseason game.

As amazing as it sounds, he has the potential to play even better this season.

One team that did have some success shutting him down during the last campaign was Arsenal. Aguero scored only once in three games against the Gunners. He will look to find some holes on Friday.

Gervinho

Due to the ongoing Robin van Persie saga, which still shows no signs of ending anytime soon, Wenger has had to look elsewhere at striker. So far Gervinho has been attempting to fill the role. He found the net against Southampton.

Since nobody knows when the Van Persie situation will get resolved, the onus will be on Gervinho to carry the Arsenal attack until some of the team's new additions get their feet wet or Van Persie decides he's going to suit up for the Gunners.

Gervinho has no shortage of talent and is capable of keeping the offense on track, but he has been plagued by inconsistency in the past.

That would need to change if he becomes the main target up front.

Yaya Toure

Even though Toure hasn't scored yet during the preseason slate, he's been the engine behind the City offense, as usual. He made his biggest impact in the game against Dresden, making several nice plays that his teammates couldn't convert.

For as much talk as the attacking trio receives, a lot of that wouldn't be possible without Toure's contributions in the middle. He covers the entire length of the field and delivers pinpoint passes that make the strikers' jobs a lot easier.

At 29 he should still have a couple productive seasons ahead of him, and by now he understands how important these preseason matches can be for preparation. He's been in good form early.