Manchester City v Arsenal predictions, betting tips and odds

Where to watch Manchester City v Arsenal

BT Sport 1, 8pm

Best bets

Manchester City to win & over 2.5 goals
3pts 6-5 bet365, BoyleSports

Oleksandr Zinchenko to be shown a card
1pt 5-1 Hills

Manchester City v Arsenal odds

Manchester City 4-7
Arsenal 19-4
Draw 7-2

Odds correct at time of publishing

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Manchester City v Arsenal team news

Manchester City
Defender Nathan Ake is the Citizens' only injury absentee.

Arsenal
Granit Xhaka is a doubt after missing the draw with Southampton. William Saliba, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mohamed Elneny remain sidelined.

Manchester City v Arsenal predictions

Arsenal's crucial Premier League trip to Manchester City was always going to be a high-pressure occasion and some dramatic recent slip-ups have cranked up the tension for the Gunners.

At the start of April, champions City were 11-8 to retain their title but Arsenal, 50-1 shots in the ante-post betting, have finally started to show signs of vulnerability.

They take a five-point lead to the Etihad Stadium but Pep Guardiola's treble-chasing City have two games in hand and, having won 11 of their last 12 matches in all competitions, they kick off Wednesday's crunch clash as 2-9 favourites for the league.

That turnaround in the title betting did not look likely when Arsenal raced into a 2-0 lead against Liverpool inside the first half an hour at Anfield on April 9.

However, Jurgen Klopp's Reds roared back and were unfortunate to come away with just a 2-2 draw, with Mohamed Salah missing a penalty and Aaron Ramsdale making a couple of brilliant late saves.

There was a repeat storyline for the Gunners in their next game at West Ham, where they drew 2-2 having been 2-0 up after just ten minutes.

Friday's home game against bottom club Southampton looked an ideal opportunity to get back on track but an error from Ramsdale gifted Saints a first-minute lead and Arsenal needed two late goals to salvage a 3-3 draw.

There are mitigating circumstances for the Gunners, who are once again without outstanding centre-back William Saliba due to injury. Two more key players, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Granit Xhaka, missed the West Ham and Southampton games respectively and understudies such as Rob Holding and Fabio Vieira struggle to maintain the standards of the first-team regulars.

It would be tough for Arteta's young squad to miss out on the title, having topped the table for virtually the entire campaign, but they have had the world's strongest club team breathing down their necks since the turn of the year.

Despite Guardiola's claim that his players are tired, the only game they have failed to win in their last dozen outings was a 1-1 Champions League quarter-final second leg away to Bayern Munich, who had been beaten 3-0 in Manchester.

City have won their last seven home matches against Arsenal in all competitions and inflicted the Gunners' only home league defeat this term, winning 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium in February.

Eight of Arsenal's ten league matches since then have also produced over 3.5 goals so backing City, who have scored 23 goals in their last five home matches, to win and over 2.5 goals is appealing at odds-against.

Former Citizen Zinchenko was booked against Southampton on Friday and in Arsenal's FA Cup defeat at the Etihad in January. The left-back's roving role means he is likely to be in the thick of the midfield battle and may struggle to stay out of trouble.

Key stat

Nine of Arsenal's last 11 Premier League matches have featured over 3.5 goals.

Probable teams

Manchester City (3-2-4-1): Ederson; Stones, Dias, Laporte; Rodri, Gundogan; Mahrez, De Bruyne, Silva, Grealish; Haaland
Subs: Foden, Walker, Alvarez, Palmer, Lewis, Phillips, Akanji

Arsenal (4-3-3): Ramsdale; White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
Subs: Smith Rowe, Vieira, Nketiah, Trossard, Nelson, Tierney, Jorginho

Inside info

Manchester City

Penalty taker Riyad Mahrez/Erling Haaland
Assist ace Kevin De Bruyne
Set-piece aerial threat Erling Haaland
Card magnet Bernardo Silva