Arsenal have learned the brutal reality of the Premier League title race following a landslide of predictions in Manchester City's favour. Pep Guardiola's side will welcome the Gunners to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday evening as Mikel Arteta hopes to cling on to top-spot.
With two games in hand, the reigning champions head into the clash five-points behind Arsenal. A win for the north Londoners will provide them plenty of breathing space in the title race, while a victory for City will unleash a sucker-punch to the visitor's hopes of getting their hands on some silverware.
Arsenal have drawn each of their previous three games; the Gunners surrendered a pair of two-goal leads against West Ham and Liverpool before going two-nil down inside quarter of an hour against Southampton. With William Saliba unavailable for selection too, Arteta has the difficult task of plastering paper over the cracks of an unsettled backline.
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While Arsenal are hoping to remain competitive against City, the latest round of predictions from the Mirror have overwhelmingly favoured the home side.
Darren Lewis: Man City 3-0 Arsenal
City will win this. Near-invincible at home, they have confidence coursing through their side and are razor sharp. Arsenal will start fast but, as they try to keep Haaland quiet, Silva will grab the opener, Arsenal will over-commit in search of an equaliser and City will hit another two.
Without Saliba, the Gunners don’t quite have the leadership and organisation at the back that they did during their winning run. Sadly for the red and white half of north London it will see City extend theirs.
John Cross: Man City 3-0 Arsenal
I fear for Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s men have hit a rocky spell just when Manchester City have gone on their amazing annual winning streak.
Frankly, Arsenal’s problems began when William Saliba got injured. For those that have not seen much of him or Arsenal this season, it would be easy to underestimate his importance.
Arsenal have missed his pace of recovery, his reading of the game and also how he helps them build up from the back. It has almost put the whole team out of balance.
Contrast that to Pep Guardiola’s men who are just in the most incredible groove now and I fancy them to go on and win the Treble. Arsenal deserve so much credit for pushing the best team of modern times to the very limit this season.
City boss Guardiola is, to me, a football genius who has almost reinvented the game. I love watching City play, they are the best team of the Premier League era in my eyes and will have too much for Arsenal. I think Erling Haaland will be impossible to stop and Arsenal have a formidable mission in front of them.
Simon Mullock: Man City 3-1 Arsenal
Manchester City have been unstoppable since losing to Tottenham 16 games ago - and the bad news for Arsenal is that Pep Guardiola's team always turns up for big games at the Etihad. Having reeled in the Gunners over recent weeks, the reigning champions will see this as a chance to really flex their muscles by beating Mikel Arteta's team for a third time this season.
I expect City to take all three points - but I don't believe this game will necessarily decide the outcome of the title race. Arsenal have been exceptional this season. They have hit a bump in the road at the worst possible time but maybe it will suit them to play under less expectation in the coming weeks.
Guardiola is desperate to make history by winning a third successive title. But with talk of a Treble now being hyped up every day, his team are coming under so much pressure that more twists and turns are surely inevitable.
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