Premier League: Manchester City vs Arsenal betting preview

Sunday’s clash between Manchester City and Arsenal will have major implications on the Premier League title race, with the Gunners currently in top spot ahead of Liverpool on goal difference and above City by a mere point. The kick-off for this encounter is scheduled for 11:30 AM ET at the Etihad Stadium. The latest international break just concluded but the hosts booked their spot in the FA Cup semifinals back on March 16th with a 2-0 victory over Newcastle. Arsenal meanwhile last played on March 12th in the Champions League, besting Porto in penalties to progress to the last eight. Below, we will preview the game and discuss any injury concerns.

Man City

Another treble is still very much in the cards for City, who are the favorite to repeat as UCL champions while remaining in the mix for the title in England. Pep Guardiola’s men have a 19-6-3 record in the Premier League and can potentially leapfrog both Arsenal and Liverpool on Sunday with a victory, depending on what happens in the Reds’ meeting with Brighton.

The Sky Blues are enjoying an extremely impressive run at the moment, going unbeaten in 20 consecutive games, with only two draws during that span. City is firing on all cylinders and certainly looks like the part of a side that can lift the EPL trophy once again.

Despite missing some time through injury, Erling Haaland is still shining in the final third, bagging 18 goals and supplying five assists. He leads the top flight in goals, just two ahead of Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins. Phil Foden is also enjoying a breakout campaign, netting 11 times and setting up another seven. City has some worrying injuries as we’ll get into a little bit later, but they still remain a -110 favorite to win outright at 888sport.

Arsenal

Sure, Arsenal was in the title mix last season before collapsing, but something just feels different this time around. It truly seems like the Gunners are prepared and capable of being champions. It’s been a near-flawless campaign for Mikel Arteta’s side, compiling a 20-4-4 record, netting a top-flight-best 70 goals, and conceding a league-low 24 times. On both ends of the pitch, the North Londoners are flourishing.

Arsenal has won nine of their last 10 fixtures, with the only defeat coming against Porto in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16. In Premier League action, the Gunners have bagged 12 goals in their previous three appearances while conceding just twice. Englishman Bukayo Saka has been the leading figure up top for Arteta, hitting the back of the net 13 times and setting up another eight. But, several others are doing their part, too. Kai Havertz has eight goals, while Declan Rice, Gabriel Martinelli, and Martin Odegaard have six apiece.

Arteta’s group undoubtedly knows how important it is to get three points on Sunday and for what it’s worth, they’ve performed well on the road in 2023-24, going 9-2-3. Arsenal also managed to beat Man City 1-0 last October in the return fixture, which is a promising sign. Regardless, soccer betting sites have them as an underdog on Sunday.

Injury news

City is dealing with some issues. Both John Stones and Kyle Walker sustained injuries on international duty, while Kevin De Bruyne is also dealing with an injury. But, the midfielder did train Thursday and is expected to suit up. For Arsenal, Martinelli is a doubt after getting hurt with Brazil. Saka suffered a knock with England, but he will likely be healthy enough to feature.