Arsenal v Manchester City predictions: Ruthless champions can spike Gunners

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Arsenal v Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday.

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 12.30pm Saturday

Best bet

Manchester City to win to nil
1pt 19-10 Coral, Ladbrokes

Team news

Arsenal
Manager Mikel Arteta will miss the game due to coronavirus and out-of-favour striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has joined the Gabon squad preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations. Ben White may continue at right-back as Takehiro Tomiyasu, Cedric Soares and Calum Chambers are all sidelined.

Manchester City
Kyle Walker, John Stones and Rodri could return to the City squad. Fernandinho is likely to drop out of the starting 11 and Joao Cancelo will be assessed after being injured during a robbery.

Match preview

Arsenal have dished out some Christmas stuffings recently, winning their last four Premier League matches by an aggregate score of 14-1, but they could find themselves feeding off scraps when they host top-of-the-table Manchester City in their first fixture of the new year.

The Gunners extended their fine run of form with a 5-0 Boxing Day demolition of bottom club Norwich but they face a very different test against a City side who have won their last nine league meetings with Arsenal, conceding only two goals.

The Citizens won their post-Christmas assignments in contrasting style, beating Leicester 6-3 and Brentford 1-0, and they are solid favourites to extend their ten-match winning streak in the league at Arsenal.

History certainly favours the visitors, who have won 11 of their last 12 league and cup games against the Gunners, including a 5-0 drubbing of Mikel Arteta's side at the Etihad Stadium in August.

Last season's league meetings both finished 1-0 to Pep Guardiola's men, with Raheem Sterling scoring early goals on both occasions, and they also eased to a 4-1 win at the Emirates in the EFL Cup in 2020-21.

Arsenal's only recent triumph against City came in the 2019-20 FA Cup semi-final when a brace from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gave them a 2-0 win at Wembley. But the striker, stripped of the captaincy and frozen out after disciplinary issues with Arteta, has left to join up with Gabon's Africa Cup of Nations squad.

Arteta, Pep's former assistant at City, was on thin ice following the early-season rout at the Etihad, where the hosts were in control even before Granit Xhaka's 35th-minute red card, but he has steadied the ship well since then.

However, the Gunners boss is absent from the dugout after testing positive for coronavirus and he must be wary of his side's struggles against the top teams in England.

They were outclassed by Chelsea in a 2-0 defeat just before the 5-0 loss at City and their subsequent ten-game unbeaten run was ended by a comprehensive 4-0 loss at Liverpool.

A sparkling young attacking unit featuring Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli is an exciting prospect for Arsenal fans but the defeat at Anfield, and more recent reverses at Manchester United and Everton were reminders that Arteta's young side remain a work in progress.

Impressive right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu's absence means a defensive reshuffle and the Gunners' fine home record may well be dented by the champions.

City lost their opening game of the season 1-0 at Tottenham but have won eight of their nine away league matches since then, only dropping points in a high-class 2-2 draw at Liverpool and establishing an eight-point lead in the title race.

Guardiola's squad is in rude health compared with the rest of the league and, despite Arsenal's resurgence, City look a big price to claim a fifth win to nil in their last six league outings.

Key stat

Manchester City have won seven of their last eight Premier League meetings with Arsenal to nil.

Inside info

Arsenal

Penalty taker Alexandre Lacazette
Free-kick wizard Martin Odegaard
Set-piece aerial threat Gabriel
Card magnet Granit Xhaka

Manchester City

Penalty taker Riyad Mahrez/Raheem Sterling
Free-kick wizard Kevin De Bruyne
Set-piece aerial threatRuben Dias
Card magnetAymeric Laporte

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