Fireworks are expected at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday as Manchester City and Arsenal play out one of the key games of this year’s Premier League title race. The two clash in Manchester with only one point between them.
Home advantage makes City the favorite in the match-up, with bookmaker Pinnacle offering odds at 1.934 for Pep Guardiola’s side to win. The odds are at 3.72 for the draw and 4.02 for Arsenal to prove its title credentials with an impressive victory. The goals total is set at 2.5, with the odds for the over at 1.892 and for the under at 2.00.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: March 30th, 11:00 A.M. (EST)
Arsenal travels to Manchester in great form, having won all eight Premier League matches in 2024, scoring 33 goals and conceding only four times, but the Gunners have a miserable record in the battle with City. Since a 2-2 draw in 2016, City has won eight consecutive league meetings at home against Arsenal.
Gabriel Martinelli’s late goal gave Arsenal a 1-0 victory against City in October, but winning in Manchester is definitely a much harder task. Mikel Arteta’s team needs to get everything right on Sunday for Arsenal to register the first double in the match-up since the 2007-08 campaign.
Martinelli is expected to shake a foot injury and play on Sunday, with Bukayo Saka, who wasn’t available for England during the international break, also set to feature. Saka has had a fantastic season with 21 goal involvements (13 goals, eight assists) in 27 league games, and many will look toward him to produce a match-winning moment on Sunday.
City will be without defensive stalwarts John Stones and Kyle Walker for the clash, but Ederson is on track to return to goal. Kevin De Bruyne is also fit despite missing the last game and not linking up with the Belgium squad.
Led by De Bruyne and Erling Haaland, City has scored in each of the last 57 home games across all competitions. The potent attack has also led to a spectacular 38-match unbeaten home record for City, which consists of 33 wins and five draws.
Arsenal has just one win in the past 19 away fixtures versus defending champions in the Premier League, losing five straight, which shows that the side has massively struggled to cope with the atmosphere and the quality of the opposition in these types of games. Sunday’s game will be a huge test for the team’s character.
