Manchester City vs Arsenal
All roads lead to the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Sunday when Premier League leaders Arsenal try to keep their title hopes on track against a menacing Manchester City.
A three-point swing last week means the Mancunians are now six points behind the Gunners, with a game in hand. And should they win on Saturday, the hosts will be in pole position. Three weeks ago, Pep Guardiola’s Sky Blues gave the Gunners a lesson in the Carabao Cup final with two headed goals from Nico O’Reilly, and Mikel Arteta’s men have since stumbled in the league and the FA Cup.
Manchester City know how to win leagues, bagging four titles on the bounce before letting in Liverpool last season. Meanwhile, Arsenal have been second for three years running, and that is the nightmare scenario that they are desperate to avoid.
Arsenal’s Champions League date with Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday meant that the Sky Blues had more time to prepare for this monumental clash, and I think they will take advantage.
Talking Points
Rayan and Rodri lift City to a new level
The Premier League 2026 betting odds have ebbed and flowed during the campaign, mainly backing the Gunners. But they took a sharp shift northwards last week, as Arsenal fell to a shock 2-1 loss at home to Bournemouth before Manchester City ruthlessly dispatched Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Rayan Cherki has been sensational since the turn of the year, and he looks every bit a Manchester City player, with the potential to reach the heights of the likes of David Silva and Bernardo Silva with his mercurial play and dazzling ball skills. He is pulling defences to pieces on current form, and he put in another Man of the Match performance, as the Sky Blues dismantled Chelsea, teeing up the in-form O’Reilly for the opener before dribbling across the Chelsea penalty area, putting Marc Guehi’s first City goal on a plate. And he helped Jeremy Doku to the third before being substituted to rapturous applause from the away fans.
Cherki’s scintillating form has coincided with the return of defensive midfielder Rodri, and the appearance of the Spaniard has been a huge lift to the players and fans at the Etihad. The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner is one of the best No. 6’s in world football, and he provides a brilliant base for the Sky Blues’ attacking unit while breaking up play and giving his defence some vital cover.
Are the Gunners’ unravelling?
Arsenal just managed to see off Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League on Wednesday, winning 1-0 on aggregate, and that was something of a relief after crashing out of the FA Cup to second-tier Southampton and losing at home to Bournemouth.
After their defeat to the Cherries, their fans were left to nervously watch the Premier League 2026 updates on Sunday, and their mood will not have been lightened by the events at Stamford Bridge. And the club’s misery was summed up by Arteta, who said: “It’s extremely disappointing. It’s a big punch in the face; it’s about how we react now.”
If they fail to win the league this year, it will surely live long and painfully in the memory, and defeat at the Etihad would surely bring the horror closer still. From being on course to win a quadruple, it has taken just two weeks for the Gunners to be down to two chances, and neither of them look remotely comfortable at this moment in time.
One bright spark in the darkness is the ever-improving form of striker Viktor Gyokeres. The Swedish goal machine took time to settle, but he scored his 18th of the campaign during the defeat to Bournemouth, a tally which puts him ahead of Arsenal legend Olivier Giroud in his first season at the Emirates and within reach of Alexis Sanchez, Thierry Henry, and Ian Wright. He is in esteemed company, and Gyokeres could be the man to fire this generation of Gunners over the finish line.
History
Over the past 65 encounters, Arsenal are ahead by 27 to 26 wins, and there have been 12 draws. At the Etihad, the tally is 16 to 12 in the Sky Blues’ favour, and there have been five draws. When the two teams met at the Emirates in September, they played out a 1-1 draw before City won the Carabao Cup final last month.
In terms of recent form, the Sky Blues have won three, drawn one, and lost two of their last six outings, the two defeats against Real Madrid, while Arsenal have won two, drawn one, and lost three.
Betting Tip
While the chase for Champions League places has six clubs in the hunt, the title race is now down to two, and this is a huge weekend. Arsenal are at SBOTOP odds of 3.98 to win, and the draw is at 3.33, but I see nothing other than a City win – and then we’re in a real battle.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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