Man City vs Arsenal preview
It’s the 2022/23 Premier League title decider. Arsenal fans wouldn’t have thought to be in a race with the position they were in back in December. The Gunners were 11 points clear at the top of the table after Boxing Day and are now just five clear of City having played two games more.
The onus is on Manchester City now to pile further pressure on Arsenal’s misery. Pep Guardiola’s men are known for their end-of-season ruthlessness and Arteta has seen this first-hand from his time at the Etihad as an assistant coach.
The winner of this fixture will have one hand on the Premier League trophy but this is football and with another month of the season remaining, anything is possible.
How would you describe Arsenal's season if they were to finish 2nd❓
🔷 They bottled the titled 🙃
🔷 They just couldn't stand against an experienced #ManCity 😒#PremierLeague pic.twitter.com/9KMhqDnFTL— FootTheBall FC (@FootTheBallFC) April 22, 2023
Man City vs Arsenal – Team news
Pep Guardiola does not have as many injury concerns as it has been for most of this season. Nathan Ake is a doubt for the match but reports suggest he should make it back in time before the title-deciding fixture.
Phil Foden is also back in action after being injured for more than a month. He played 22 minutes in the FA Cup win over Sheffield United and should be part of the squad that faces Arsenal.
Predicted Man City lineup: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Ake, Stones, Rodri, Grealish, De Bruyne, B.Silva, Mahrez, Haaland
Arsenal’s major dip in form in recent fixtures has been mainly due to the fact that they have missed their best defender this season – William Saliba. The French defender has been ruled out for the season which is a much bigger blow and has been out of the frame for more than a month now.
Granit Xhaka missed the last league fixture against Southampton with illness but should be ready to face reigning champions Manchester City. The only other absentee from Arteta’s squad is Tomiyasu.
Predicted Arsenal lineup: Ramsdale, White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Partey, Xhaka, Odegaard, Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
Man City vs Arsenal – Key players
Erling Haaland – Manchester City
No surprises here. The Norwegian has broken records for fun this season, nearing 50 goals in all competitions. He has also equalled the record for most goals scored in a single Premier League campaign with 8 games remaining. If Arteta and Arsenal have any chance against City, it’s by stopping this goal-scoring machine.
Bukayo Saka – Arsenal
Undoubtedly Arsenal’s best player this season. The 21-year-old has 10+ goals and assists this league season and has led this Arsenal attack even when they have a bad day at the office. Arsenal won’t have much of the ball against City, so Saka and Co will have to make the most of the possession they will have during those 90 minutes.
Man City vs Arsenal prediction
It is clear what Arsenal and Arteta need from this match. They need to avoid defeat to stand a chance at winning the Premier League. The Gunners’ form has dipped drastically over the past couple of weeks and the timing of this match could not have been better from Man City’s perspective.
Pep Guardiola’s men have been running riot in all competitions and their usual end-of-the-season form has started kicking in. The Citizens are in the running for a treble but that topic is for another day. Manchester City might have the experience needed to get through the final phase of the campaign, but it’ll all boil down to the teams’ hunger to get their hands on the trophy come the end of the season.
Expect Arsenal to show that hunger, given how young of a squad they still are and expect them to go away from Etihad with a point. FootTheBall predicts Man City 1-1 Arsenal.