Manchester City vs. Arsenal: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

With Arsenal still missing Martin Ødegaard and with many of their best depth options also out injured, the London club's task here is huge.

The Gunners haven't won at the Etihad since January 2015, with City winning eight of the last nine head-to-head meetings between the two sides at this venue, with the latest meeting ending 0-0.

City also haven't lost a single game to any opponent (penalty shootouts aside) at the Etihad since November 2022, so it's clear how herculean the challenge is for the Gunners.

Ultimately, we still expect a razor-tight encounter with both sides cancelling each other out for the most part, but with the form Erling Haaland is currently in we think he'll come up with at least one moment that will prove to be the difference between the two teams. Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal.

Manchester City and Arsenal are set to face off in what could be a pivotal early-season clash between two title contenders in the Premier League this Sunday.

• Date: 22/09/2024
• Kick-off time: 16:30
• Location: Etihad Stadium, Manchester

Manchester City, currently perched at the top of the Premier League table with 12 points from their opening four matches, have once again established themselves as the team to beat. Their consistency under Pep Guardiola is quite astounding; season after season the Cityzens maintain their sky-high standards, positioning themselves as perennial title favourites, and this season looks no different. Many punters had already tipped them to retain their title before the campaign even began, and their performances so far have only strengthened that view.

Guardiola’s side have begun the season in excellent form, spearheaded by the sensational form of Erling Haaland, who has already netted nine goals in his first four appearances this season. The Norwegian striker, who has taken the Premier League by storm since joining the Sky Blues, seems set to raise his own bar even higher, and his early goal-scoring exploits have kept City’s momentum surging.

However, there is an added narrative in this fixture for Haaland. Despite his incredible form, he has struggled to make his mark against Arsenal in recent meetings, having failed to find the back of the net in his last two appearances against Mikel Arteta’s side, with both performances pretty anonymous showings from him.

City’s dominance over the past few seasons is becoming almost freakish, with their consistency at the highest level unmatched in English football history, which is true even in spite of any asterisks attached to alleged forthcoming financial charges. Even in years where they have been pushed hard, particularly by Liverpool, Guardiola’s team has always found a way to maintain or improve their performance. A win over their closest rivals for the title so early in the season would be in equal parts a psychological boost for City and a physiological blow to Arsenal. Moreover, extending the gap between themselves and the Gunners to five points would place them in a commanding position, even this early in the campaign.

Arsenal, currently second in the table with 10 points, have also enjoyed a solid start to the season. Mikel Arteta’s side finished runners-up to City last year, and after bolstering their squad in the summer, they look primed to be City's closest challenger for a third year running. The Gunners have been efficient in their early matches, and their ability to pick up points in difficult circumstances has been impressive. However, the challenge of keeping pace with Manchester City is a monumental one, and Arteta's side will know that even minor slip-ups can be costly.

Despite their strong start, there is already a sense of pressure building around Arsenal heading into this fixture with key players out injured. While it's admittedly only September, the standards required to dethrone Manchester City as champions are so high that even a two-point gap feels significant. If City were to win this weekend, that gap would grow to five points, potentially leaving Arsenal with a big chunk of ground to eat up and very little margin for error later on in the season. Given the relentless nature of City’s form in recent years, there is prior evidence to show that falling behind in the title race this early could be damaging for the Gunners’ long-term ambitions given how undeterred City can be when defending a lead at the top of the table.

Last season, Arsenal performed well against City, taking four points from the two league meetings. This represents a notable shift in the psychological dynamic between the two sides, with Arsenal seemingly overcoming the mental block that often plagued them in previous meetings with Guardiola’s side, games that have historically not gone well. This newfound resilience will be crucial as they look to compete with City over the course of the season.

Arsenal are arguably the best out-of-possession team in the Premier League, with their pressing game and defensive organisation among the most effective in the division - and probably in Europe. This strength was on full display in their visit to the Etihad last season, where they managed to secure a hard-fought 0-0 draw. From the perspective of raw entertainment the game was very forgettable, with the centre of the pitch so congested that neither side could fashion any moments of quality, leading to a game riddled with errors and devoid of any spark. Whether this match will follow a similar pattern remains to be seen, but given the stakes, both sides might again be satisfied with a point, particularly at this stage of the campaign.

This game will be televised live to all subscribed UK viewers on Sky Sports Main Event.

Manchester City Team News:

City will remain without Oscar Bobb and Nathan Aké, both of whom continue their recovery from respective injuries.

Phil Foden is yet to properly work his way back into the side as a regular starter following a stop-start return in light of this summer's Euros, and he could remain on the bench for this one.

Pep Guardiola is likely to continue to entrust Rico Lewis with the right-back role, with Kyle Walker having to settle for a place on the bench.

Predicted lineup: Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Kovačić, Rodri, De Bruyne; Bernardo, Haaland, Doku.

Arsenal Team News:

Arsenal will be sweating over the fitness of Bukayo Saka who was withdrawn at the weekend with an injury sustained in the game against Tottenham Hotspur. The injury is not reported to be serious, but the England international is a doubt.

Martin Ødegaard remains out with an ankle injury, as do Oleksandr Zinchenko, Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori.

Predicted lineup: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Rice, Partey, Havertz; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli.

Manchester City faced Brentford at the weekend and emerged 2-1 winners. Brentford took the lead after just one minute through Yoane Wissa, but Guardiola's side responded with two first-half goals from Erling Haaland.

A professional second half performance allowed City to see out the game and record yet another win, meaning they've now won all four games this season having already beaten West Ham United (3-1), Ipswich Town (4-1) and Chelsea (2-0).

Arsenal's most recent game came away at Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby. Arsenal entered the game in tough circumstances with numerous big players missing for various reasons, but despite being bound by such a handicap they emerged 1-0 winners after a second half header from Gabriel Magalhães secured all three points in a gritty, spirited performance.

Prior to that, Arsenal drew 1-1 with Brighton & Hove Albion after beating both Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers by 2-0 scorelines.

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