Manchester City host Arsenal in a season-defining showdown in the Premier League title race.
Victory would move City to within three points of Arsenal who currently sit top of the table, but Mikel Arteta’s Gunners can move nine points clear with a win.
Team News
Nico O’Reilly is set to be available for Man City despite having picked up a minor hamstring injury during their 3-0 victory at Chelsea.
John Stones (calf) is a doubt but Ruben Dias (hamstring) and Josko Gvardiol (leg) remain sidelined.
Arsenal could be without Noni Madueke after he suffered a knee injury during their goalless draw against Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday evening, although the Gunners progressed to Champions League semi-finals on aggregate.
Riccardo Calafiori (knock) and Jurrien Timber (ankle) face late fitness checks.
Martin Odegaard (knee), Bukayo Saka (Achilles) and Mikel Merino (foot) remain absent.
When is Kick-Off?
Man City host Arsenal at Etihad Stadium on Sunday 19 April at 4:30pm BST, live on Sky Sports in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Man City are winless in their last five Premier League meetings against Arsenal (D3, L2).
- Arsenal have failed to win any of their last ten league visits to Man City (D3, L7).
- Arteta’s Gunners are looking to go three consecutive league trips to Man City without defeat since their first nine Premier League visits between January 1993 and May 2006.
- Man City have lost one of their four league matches at home to London-based opposition so far this season (W2, D1, L1).
- Viktor Gyokeres is looking to score in three consecutive league matches as an Arsenal player for the first time.
Prediction
Having kept clean sheets in their last three matches which included their Carabao Cup Final victory against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium, London, last month, Man City are coming into this game in peak form at the right time with confidence high as is typical of them at this stage of the season.
Guardiola’s Cityzens will also be boosted by their clinical second-half display at Chelsea which underlines how strong they’re currently, making it a tough ask for any opposition to stop them such is their form and goal threats across the pitch.
Arsenal meanwhile have stuttered since the international break off the back of that Carabao Cup Final loss as they’ve since won just one of their last four matches since then, but if there is a time to bounce back and restore their nine-point lead then it’s now.
City though are in such form that they can play poorly in the first half then turn it on clinically in the second half which Arsenal will need to be wary of, but I do think that they should at least be able to grind out a draw if get their tactics right.
Prediction: Man City 1-1 Arsenal
Result: Man City 2-1 Arsenal
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