Manchester City - Arsenal predictions and free betting tips [31/03/2024]

Today within the 30th tour of the Premier League (PL), Manchester City is set to face Arsenal at home. Mikel Arteta's trainees head to the Etihad with a one-point advantage over reigning champions and will try to vanquish the "Citizens" on their home ground for the first time in nine years.

Predicted Lineups

Manchester City: Ederson; Lewis, Dias, Akanji, Aké; Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne; Foden, Holland, Doku.
Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Edegor, Jorginho, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.

Manchester City

The reigning Premier League champion, Manchester City, is unsurprisingly in contention for their fourth consecutive title this season. Currently, the "Citizens" occupy the 3rd position in the PL leaderboard, trailing the leading Arsenal by just one point. Manchester City has been performing spectacularly for a while now, as evidenced by their current 13-match unbeaten streak in the championship. Having defeated Brentford (1:0), Bournemouth (0:1), and Manchester United (3:1), Manchester City managed a draw at Anfield against Liverpool (1:1) in the previous tour. Right before the international break, Pep Guardiola's men secured a spot in the FA Cup semi-finals by scoring a home victory against Newcastle with a 2:0 margin. Furthermore, the hosts continue their participation in the Champions League: in March, they surpassed Copenhagen (6:2 on aggregate of two matches) and will face Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.

It is noteworthy that City only holds the third spot in the PL home performance table, with 34 points earned in 14 matches, scoring 32 goals and conceding 12. The home team's first-choice goalkeeper, Ederson, who has been injured in recent weeks, should return to the squad. On the flip side, defenders Stones and Walker have suffered injuries during the international break and will miss the upcoming match. Playmaker De Bruyne returned to group training this week and is expected to start. Erling Holland has been rather quiet recently, not scoring in four consecutive matches for both club and national team; however, he remains the top scorer of the PL (18 goals and 5 assists in 23 matches). Phil Foden (11 goals and 7 assists) and Julian Álvarez (8 goals and 8 assists) will flank the Norwegian in the trio.

Arsenal

After last year's fierce title competition, Arsenal once again leads the League table heading into the final stretch of the campaign. The last time the Londoners won the English championship was in 2004, during the historical reign of the "Invincibles". The "Gunners" have as many points as Liverpool and one more than their upcoming opponents. Despite decelerating in December, Arsenal has been unstoppable since January: Arteta's side won all eight of their recent matches, including convincing victories over Liverpool (3:1), West Ham (0:6), and Newcastle (4:1). In the Champions League, the red-and-whites defeated Porto in the round of 16 and will confront Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.It is crucial to note that Arsenal is the absolute best PL team in terms of away performances (29 points won in 14 away matches). Dutch defender Jurriën Timber suffered a serious injury on the very first tour of the season and will be unavailable this weekend. On the bright side: winger Martinelli, forward Gabriel Jesus, and talented Bukayo Saka (13 goals and 8 assists) have recovered from their injuries and should take their places in the starting line-up. It is expected that Takehiro Tomiyasu and Thomas Partey will also be available after a friendly match against Queens Park Rangers held during the international break. Frenchman Saliba and Brazilian Gabriel will ensure defensive solidity at the back, and Declan Rice will provide critical support in the midfield area.

Head-to-Head

Since January 2015, the Gunners haven't been victorious at the Etihad; however, the first leg meeting concluded with a narrow 1:0 victory for the Londoners.

Match prediction: Manchester City vs. Arsenal

The match of the entire English football season – it's fair enough to define the upcoming clash between the two PL leaders. Manchester City hasn't known defeat at their home ground for 16 months, yet the absences of Walker and Stones might play a cruel joke on them. Arsenal realises the importance of not losing minimally at the Etihad, and the current form of the "Gunners" allows them to aim for success against any adversary. My prediction is an Asian Handicap Arsenal +1.