Arsenal vs. Manchester City Prediction: Two Titans Lock Horns in Premier League

• Arsenal are battling to stay in the Premier League title race alongside Liverpool

• Manchester City are targeting a top-four finish after a collapse in form in 2024

• These two teams drew 2-2 in a controversial, eventful encounter last September

Arsenal vs. Manchester City Odds

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Arsenal vs. Manchester City Pick

Back Arsenal to beat Manchester City on Sunday. Despite their recent uptick in form domestically, Pep Guardiola’s team remain vulnerable.

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Arsenal Have Minimal Margin for Error in EPL Title Race

Arsenal were up against it last weekend after they had Myles Lewis-Skelly sent off in the first half of their meeting with Wolverhampton Wanderers. But Mikel Arteta’s men stayed strong, and when their opponents also had a men sent off, Arsenal capitalized. Riccardo Calafiori scored the only goal of the game to give his side three precious points.

At the same time, Liverpool were cruising to a 4-1 victory over Ipswich Town. That rather sums the title race up. The Reds are sitting pretty in top spot with a six-point lead over Arsenal, who have also played a game more. The Gunners are stretching every sinew to remain within touching distance of Liverpool, who have still only lost one match all campaign.

The next couple of weeks could be key. If Liverpool beat Bournemouth on Saturday and Everton in their upcoming game in hand, and Arsenal lose to Manchester City on Sunday, the Reds would be 12 points clear of the north Londoners - and that would almost certainly be that.

On the other hand, if Liverpool were to draw their next two matches and Arsenal were to beat City, the gap would stand at just five points. That is the scenario Arteta and his players will be hoping for, but as they cannot control the outcome of Liverpool’s matches, Arsenal must ensure they are fully focused on their own task.

The Gunners have demonstrated grit and resolve of late, while they continue to create chances even in the absence of star attacker Bukayo Saka. Yet they have at times been undermined by profligate finishing. Arsenal must discover a ruthless streak if they are to keep pace with Liverpool at the top of the tree.

“The turning points are minimal and the gap certainly looks very different,” Arteta said recently. “We have to be at it, we have to do what is in our hands and there’s still a long, long way to go.”

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Improved Manchester City Are Still Not What They Were

On the face of it, Manchester City are back. Their extraordinary collapse in form in the last couple of months of 2024 knocked them down the Premier League table and left them in trouble in the Champions League. But City have now lost just one of their last nine games in all competitions. They are back in the top four at home and through to the play-offs in Europe.

Dig a little deeper, though, and this team remains flawed. City continue to give up a remarkable amount of chances to their opponents. Without Rodri in their side, their possession play is less organized. More worryingly, they are extremely vulnerable to opposition counter-attacks.

Results have often been better than performances of late. City beat Leicester City but could easily have drawn that match. A 4-1 triumph over West Ham United flattered them. City did not deserve to go 2-0 up against Paris Saint-Germain and duly lost 4-2. Even in a 3-1 victory over Club Brugge last time out, Guardiola’s charges survived more than they thrived.

City were pretty good against Chelsea last weekend, coming from a goal down to win 3-1. But their opponents could easily have killed the game off when they were on top in the first half. Defeats by PSG, Juventus, Liverpool and Manchester United show that City have tended to struggle in the big games.

On the plus side, Omar Marmoush looked lively against Chelsea following his January move from Eintracht Frankfurt, while Phil Foden is starting to resemble the player that was the Premier League’s outstanding performer in 2023/24. Still, City have plenty of work to do before they can celebrate Champions League qualification.

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Arsenal Can Edge Their Latest Meeting With Manchester City

Arsenal suffered a late heartbreak in the reverse fixture at the Etihad Stadium in September. They led 2-1 at half-time but were reduced to 10 men just before the interval when Leandro Trossard was given his marching orders for a second bookable offense. Arsenal almost held on, only for John Stones to notch an equalizer deep into second-half stoppage time.

Much has changed since then, with Manchester City no longer involved in the title race and Arsenal falling further adrift of Liverpool. Yet despite City’s upturn of late, there are still significant doubts over their ability to beat the strongest teams in Europe, a category in which Arsenal belong.

Home advantage could also be a factor, as it was when Arsenal beat City 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium last season. There should be more goals on this occasion, not least because Guardiola’s team are far more open these days, but from a betting perspective we advise keeping things simple and sticking with the winner market.

Arsenal are an inferior team without Saka, but Arteta will be pleased that his players are still fashioning plenty of opportunities. If they can do so again here, Arsenal have what it takes to beat Manchester City.

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How to Watch Arsenal vs. Manchester

• Teams: Arsenal vs. Manchester City

• Location: Emirates Stadium, London, England

• Date and Time: Sunday, 2 February 2025, 11.30 AM ET

• How to Watch: Peacock Premium