Football.London
Sunday March 31, 2024
Arsenal are preparing for a huge trip to face Manchester City in the Premier League title race this weekend.
Sunday’s game will be the final time either of Arsenal, City and Liverpool meet this season and comes moments after the Reds face Brighton at Anfield - which could see them nab top spot off the Gunners.
Not since January 2015 have Arsenal won at the Etihad Stadium, a fortress they will surely have to breach if they are to be successful in lifting the title for the first time in two decades.
The two teams could hardly be in better form ahead of this fixture. City last lost a game in December and look good value to repeat last season’s treble heroics.
Arsenal, meanwhile, boast eight consecutive league wins and head north off the back of a penalty shootout win over Porto as they breached the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in 14 years, whetting their appetite for ending the sort of droughts that have dogged the club in recent times.
Date, kick-off time and venueMan City vs Arsenal is scheduled for a 4.30pm GMT kick-off on Sunday, March 31, 2024.
The match will take place at the Etihad Stadium.
Where to watch Man City vs Arsenal
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Sky Sports Main Event and Premier League, with coverage beginning after Liverpool’s game with Brighton.
Live stream: Subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Sky Go app.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog, with expert analysis from our reporter Simon Collings at the ground.
Man City vs Arsenal team news
The hosts are monitoring several injury concerns ahead of the game and will be without John Stones and Kyle Walker. Kevin De Bruyne, Manuel Akanji, Jack Grealish and Ederson, however, are likely to be fit.
Pep Guardiola can certainly put a strong line-up together even if all of those players miss out, but it would leave City with a thin and youthful bench.
Arsenal are confident all of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes will be fit after recent injury issues.
Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jakub Kiwior are all competing for the left-back berth and Mikel Arteta will have to decide whether to start Jorginho, Thomas Partey or Leandro Trossard in central midfield with Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard if Martinelli is fit.
Man City vs Arsenal prediction
This season’s title ‘deciders’ have been rather inconclusive so far. City and Liverpool have drawn twice with Arsenal also leaving Anfield with a point after beating both on their own turf.
At the Etihad, things are typically expected to be different (and worse) for the Gunners but a positive result may just elevate them to the status of title favourites, despite arguably having the toughest run-in of the three.
City have been looked a tad more vulnerable this year yet, simply put, still never seem to lose a game. Arsenal have traded their whimsical naivety of last season for a brand of clinical, focused chaos. It’s too tough to call.
A 1-1 draw.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
City’s eight-game winning streak in this fixture has abruptly ended this season, with Arsenal triumphant in their Community Shield meeting via penalties before Gabriel Martinelli’s late winner in the league.
Man City wins: 65
Arsenal wins: 100
Draws: 45
Man City vs Arsenal match odds
Man City: 20/23
Arsenal: 29/10
Draw: 27/10
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).