THERE has rarely been a game that is as close to a title decider as this guaranteed Premier League classic.
First-placed Arsenal travel to second-placed Manchester City in a match that will have major implications for both teams.
3Jack Grealish scored in a 3-1 win the last time Man City played ArsenalCredit: Getty
3Arsenal had to come from 3-1 down to rescue a point against Southampton on FridayCredit: Getty
If Arsenal win, they will extend their lead to the top of the table to eight points and know even if City secure victories in all their games in hand, it is in the Gunners’ hands.
If City win, the momentum is fully with Pep Guardiola’s men and they would be not just a step closer to a fifth title in six seasons but also towards the treble.
A draw would be Arsenal’s fourth in a row with the brakes firmly applied and slowing down their title charge – and put City in pole position to overtake before the close of play on May 28.
City came out on top in the reverse fixture at the Emirates 3-1 in February with goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland.
Arsenal will be desperate to inflict a similar away performance on the dominant force that is Manchester City, who have won 17 of their 19 home league games.
But the history books do not make pretty reading for the Gunners.
City have won all six of their Premier League home games against Arsenal under Pep Guardiola by an aggregate score of 17-3 – they last lost at home to the Gunners in January 2015.
Arsenal have lost their last 11 Premier League games against Man City, their longest losing streak against an opponent in their league history and have scored just three goals in their last ten Premier League meetings.
And Mikel Arteta has lost all six of his Premier League games against Man City – they’re the only side the Spaniard has faced but failed to beat as a manager in the competition.
What is their form like?
City are on absolute fire at the minute – winning 11 of their last 12 games in all competitions, the other being the 1-1 draw away at Bayern Munich to secure a 4-1 aggregate win.
They have not lost since a 1-0 defeat at Tottenham in February, their only defeat in 20 matches and breezed past Sheffield United on Saturday to reach the FA Cup final.
Arsenal, on the other hand, have been disappointing in recent weeks.
They threw away 2-0 leads at Liverpool and West Ham to draw 2-2 and then fought back to snatch a point in the 3-3 thriller with Southampton.
That followed 3-0, 4-1 and 4-1 wins over Fulham, Crystal Palace and Leeds in the Premier League, with a Europa League shootout exit to Sporting in there, too.
What is the team news and any injuries to worry about?
William Saliba is set to miss the clash for Arsenal as he continues to recover from a back injury – and could even be out for the rest of the season.
Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mohamed Elneny are long-term absentees but Granit Xhaka should be back in contention to face City after missing the Southampton draw with illness.
City will be without Nathan Ake, who is out with a hamstring injury.
De Bruyne, Ederson, Ruben Dias, Rodri and John Stones all sat out of the Wembley win and should come back in.
Who will be the star men?
Haaland has matched the 38-game Premier League goalscoring record with 32 – and will be desperate to claim it for his own.
De Bruyne has six goals and three assists in ten Premier League games against the Gunners – including that superb finish at the Emirates in February – and may well link up with Haaland to add to that tally.
For Arsenal, all eyes will be on Rob Holding to see how he can handle Haaland – he did well in their FA Cup game earlier this year but cannot afford any mistakes against the league’s deadliest finisher.
Bukayo Saka has scored the Gunners’ last two goals against City – although both have come at the Emirates – scored from the spot in the 3-1 league defeat.
With no Ake in that left defensive role, Saka should look to exploit that change in his attempt to become the first Arsenal player to net home and away against City since Theo Walcott in 2016-17.
SunSport prediction
Manchester City 2-1 Arsenal
When is Man City vs Arsenal?
- Arsenal’s big clash against Man City will take place on Wednesday, April 26.
- The game will kick off at 8pm BST.
- Man City vs Arsenal will be held at the Etihad.
What channel is it and can it be live streamed?
- Man City vs Arsenal will be shown live on BT Sport 1 in the UK.
- You can live stream the action from the BT Sport app, which is available for download onto your mobile or tablet device.
Odds
- Man City – 4/7
- Draw – 16/5
- Arsenal – 9/2
*Odds courtesy of Ladbrokes and correct at time of publication.
source: thesun.co.uk
