The Premier League is back in our lives today, as begin the final few months of the season. All twenty teams from top to bottom have a lot to fight for regardless of what the pundits may tell you, and that’s an exciting position to be in. There are so many storylines to run through and not much time left in the campaign to resolve them, but either way, we’re here for it. The top flight of English football always seems to throw up some surprises that nobody is expecting, and this season is likely going to be no different between now and May.

The game that we’re going to be taking a look at today is Manchester City vs Arsenal, in an encounter that is probably a little bit more ‘open’ than many fans may have thought just a few short months ago. Both sides consider themselves to be in with a great chance of finishing in the top four, with one going for Premier League glory and the other being happy to settle for 4th. One way or another this is going to be a game we’re talking about for a good long while, and that’s not a prediction – that’s a spoiler.

Under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola, Manchester City have been fairly unstoppable in the Premier League over the course of the last 18 months. Of course, even the great teams from throughout the history of the beautiful game have been forced to face adversity once or twice, and City are no different. They’re currently in a situation where they’re chasing as opposed to leading the pack, and that was always going to be new for them. Can they handle the pressure of the situation? Only time will tell, but they’ve certainly got the squad for the challenge.

Arsenal have certainly been a little bit hit and miss from August right up until the present day, but despite that, Unai Emery doesn’t appear to be shying away from the challenge. They’ve got a great core to their squad and while their activity in the January transfer window was somewhat minimal, at least they were able to bring someone in. Now, all they need to do is maintain the level of consistency required to push on and secure their place in the top four. That’s easier said than done, but a return to the Champions League is pretty solid motivation.

Manchester City certainly managed to get their title push back on track in the wake of their minor blip during the busy winter period, kicking off their last six game stretch with a 9-0 trouncing of Burton Albion. They went on to defeat Wolves 3-0 before registering the same scoreline against Huddersfield, with a 1-0 second leg win over Burton in their semi-final confirming their place in the first cup final of the season. They went on to smash Burnley in the FA Cup, but then, in one crazy night, a good portion of their hard work was undone as they fell to a shock 2-1 defeat against Newcastle United.

Arsenal’s last six game stretch began with a comfortable 4-1 win over Fulham, before they were able to dispatch of Blackpool for the second time this season. They then slipped up with a poor 1-0 defeat against West Ham United, but they bounced back in the best manner possible with a somewhat surprising 2-0 win over Chelsea. They proceeded to get knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United, but their push for a spot in the top four received a huge boost as they defeated Cardiff 2-1 whilst United and Chelsea both dropped points.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, the overall head to head standings are dominated by the Gunners who have 96 wins compared to City’s 54 with 45 draws. Their first meeting took place way back in 1893, when the fixture was known as Woolwich Arsenal vs Ardwick. Their first meeting took place on the opening weekend of the season in August, where City were able to pick up a relatively comfortable 2-0 win. Still, even with the loss, Arsenal certainly had some positives to pull out of the performance – and they’re a completely different team this time around, which we’re not just saying for the sake of it.

Pep Guardiola is expected to make at least a few changes, courtesy of the loss to Newcastle during the week. Ederson sustained a leg injury but there isn’t really any legitimate cover for him, meaning that he will likely have to play through the pain. Mahrez, Jesus and Bernardo Silva have all been tipped to return to the starting XI for this one, with Benjamin Mendy being tipped for a return after being left out for the game against Burnley. Guardiola certainly has options, but there’s a chance he’ll be second guessing himself with a collection of poor results to his name this season already.

Mavropanos was on the bench in midweek, and the expectation is that he’ll play some kind of role in this one at the Etihad. Maitland-Niles was out of the squad against Cardiff due to a knee injury, but courtesy of the lack of options, Unai Emery will likely be very eager to get him back in the setup tomorrow. Koscielny has recovered from his jaw issue against Manchester United, but there are still questions from fans regarding whether or not he should be starting every week. Denis Suarez is expected to make the bench, as fans eagerly await his debut.

Manchester City vs Arsenal Betting Prediction

City are fully aware of the fact that they can pick apart any team in this league at will, but they also know that if they over-extend themselves too much, they’re susceptible to counter attacks. They certainly aren’t going to be complacent anymore as Guardiola will be well aware of the risks associated with that, but even so, we think the Gunners are going to put up a pretty good fight here. We can see them taking the lead before City score twice in quick succession, leaving the home side 2-1 up heading into the second half.

Then, Arsenal will equalise again, before City score a late winner to register all three points. That sounds like a pretty optimistic prediction but we’re all about creating some excitement in the top flight, especially when it comes to games between members of the ‘top six’. Arsenal are well aware of the fact that they’re still a couple steps away from where they want to be, and because of that, they don’t really have anything to lose. If they go out there and throw everything at the wall, then at the very least, their travelling fans will be happy.

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