Premier League: City Set to Test Arsenal’s Title Chances

Arsenal vs Manchester City

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta meets his former mentor Pep Guardiola on Sunday in a match which could prove pivotal in the 2025 Premier League title race.  

Manchester City moved back into the top four last week thanks to a 3-1 win over Chelsea while the Gunners fought hard to earn three points in a 1-0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers to move to within six points of leaders Liverpool. Should the Reds win away to Bournemouth on Saturday the gap at the top of the Premier League will increase to nine points, but the Cherries have been on a superb run and so that may be easier said than done.    

With third placed Nottingham Forest facing Brighton this weekend the Sky Blues could move into the top three so there is plenty of incentive in both camps. And, after a fractious meeting at the Etihad earlier this season, there is little love lost between the two clubs.      

 

Talking Points

Arsenal are struggling to cut loose

The Gunners under Arteta have won plaudits for their style of football over the past couple of years, and the way they have pushed the Sky Blues to greater heights. They have cast off the old mantle of ‘1-0 winners’ and have become a fast flowing, free scoring outfit. But in recent weeks Arsenal have struggled to put teams to the sword, winning three of their last six games by a single goal, drawing twice and only having a cushy evening in a 3-0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.

The absence of the injuredBukayo Saka has coincided withArsenal’s difficulty in cutting loose while the return of captain Martin Odegaard has given them a creative boost. But Arsenal have relied heavily on goals from corners, with centre back Gabriel a major threat, and it was his defensive partner Riccardo Calafiori who won the day at Molineux. Both teams had just nine shots in that game and Arsenal managed just three on target and that is a statistic Arteta will need to improve. He has been looking for a striker throughout the transfer window, and indeed before it. The Gunners have already had a bid for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins turned down and the latest Premier League 2025 news suggest they are preparing a second offer.

There is some good news for Arsenal fans as Myles Lewis-Skelly has avoided a three match ban after his red card during the match against Wolves has been overturned. His tackle on Matt Doherty saw him dismissed much to the amazement of everyone who saw it, and justice has been done.      

 

City’s steel is starting to return

The latest Premier League 2025 betting odds here at SBOTOP have brought Guardiola’s Sky Blues into third favourites and still with an outside chance (around five per cent) of actually winning the title. It would take a serious fall-off in form from Arne Slot’s Liverpool for that to happen but it looks like City are back to being a force to be reckoned with. Back to back 3-1 wins, against Chelsea and then Club Brugge in the Champions League, both came after Guardiola’s team went behind. A month or so there may have been different outcomes but it appears that City have found a way to win again.

After a fallow period Erling Haaland is back in the goals and Phil Foden is in his best form of the season; both were on target against Chelsea and will be right up for this game.   

 

History

With 29 wins to 25 the Gunners have the edge in the head to heads and the two teams played out a 2-2 draw at the Etihad in September as John Stones dug the Sky Blues out with a 97^th minute leveller. Haaland angered the Arsenal boss by telling him to stay humble after the game and that makes this match a simmering pot…which could easily bubble over.  

Recent form is identical with four wins, one draw and one defeat each from the last six games, while Arsenal’s home record is seven wins and four draws.    

 

Betting Tip

Arsenal are favourites to win this huge clash at odds of 2.02, with the draw at 3.20 and the Sky Blues are at 3.10. Arteta’s team are strong at home but they meet a Manchester City side which is showing signs of getting back to something near their best. If they step up another gear or so Guardiola’s side could challenge for the Champions League while chasing down the second placed Gunners; and that will be their aim on Sunday.     

   

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