Arsenal’s Situation and Form
All bets should have been placed on Arsenal capitalizing on any Manchester City slip-ups this season, but now the Gunners find themselves in a position where their title hopes could all but disappear without a victory against Guardiola’s side.
Mikel Arteta’s team has at least regained stability in the Premier League after a sluggish start to 2025. In their most recent league outing, they overcame Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 despite a highly controversial red card for Myles Lewis-Skelly—later overturned—thanks to a brilliantly struck winner from Riccardo Calafiori.
Regardless of what happens in Saturday’s matches, Arsenal should hold on to second place before looking to extend their outstanding home record. The Gunners remain the only Premier League side yet to lose a single home game in the 2024-25 season.
Surprisingly, Arsenal has accumulated more points than any other team since Gameweek 11, with an unmatched tally of 29. Their fine form continued in the Champions League, although not without difficulties, as they secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Girona.
Despite former Tottenham player Arnaut Danjuma exploiting a catastrophic error by debutant goalkeeper Neto, Jorginho’s penalty and a superb strike from Ethan Nwaneri secured Arsenal’s place in the Champions League Round of 16.
Manchester City’s Situation and Form
While Arsenal can put their feet up for a well-deserved break in February—perhaps in their favored Dubai retreat—Manchester City faces a high-stakes two-legged playoff against Real Madrid after narrowly avoiding early elimination from the Champions League.
On Wednesday night, Club Brugge was briefly on course to embarrass the reigning English champions, but a strong second-half comeback ensured that Guardiola’s men did not suffer the disgrace of an early European exit.
Before taking on Carlo Ancelotti’s side once again, Guardiola must first get past his former protégé, Mikel Arteta. Encouragingly for City fans, their team is beginning to resemble the dominant force of old, evidenced by an ongoing six-game unbeaten run in the Premier League.
Their resilience was on full display last weekend when they came from behind to defeat Chelsea 3-1. With that result, City climbed into the top four, reinforcing their exceptional second-half-of-the-season form—they have lost just one of their last 40 Premier League matches played between January and the campaign’s end.
However, Arsenal also established themselves as a second-half-of-the-season powerhouse last year. They remain unbeaten in their last three league encounters against Manchester City, with the champions’ dominance over them ending at the Emirates in 2023, courtesy of a deflected Gabriel Martinelli goal.
Team News
Arsenal
David Raya was a surprise absentee in Arsenal’s midweek win over Girona, and Mikel Arteta has hinted that the Spanish goalkeeper is still doubtful for this match due to a muscle injury.
Arteta also confirmed that this clash comes too soon for Ben White (knee), while Gabriel Jesus (knee), Bukayo Saka (hamstring), and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) remain unavailable.
On the bright side, Myles Lewis-Skelly is cleared to play after his red card against Wolves was rescinded, and Ethan Nwaneri could be rewarded with a starting spot following his excellent performance in the Champions League.
Arsenal’s possible starting lineup:
Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Nwaneri, Havertz, Martinelli.
Manchester City
Guardiola has ruled out the possibility of any injured players returning for this fixture, meaning Rodri (knee), Oscar Bobb (leg), Ruben Dias (groin), Jeremy Doku (undisclosed), and Nathan Ake (muscle) will all be absent.
However, City will have three reinforcements in the squad: new signings Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Vitor Reis, none of whom were eligible to play against Club Brugge.
Marmoush is likely to start, while Khusanov, after a disastrous debut against Chelsea, will probably remain on the bench.
Manchester City’s possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Nunes, Akanji, Stones, Gvardiol; Silva, Kovacic, De Bruyne; Foden, Haaland, Marmoush.
Betting Predictions
This match carries immense significance for both teams. Arsenal is playing at home, where they have been dominant, but they are dealing with key absences in attack. Manchester City, despite their injuries, has regained momentum and rarely loses in the second half of the season.
Considering Arsenal’s strong home record and their ability to trouble City in recent meetings, a Double Chance: Arsenal or Draw bet has good value.
Given City’s attacking prowess and Arsenal’s defensive improvements, Under 3.5 Goals also seems like a solid pick.
For player bets, if Ethan Nwaneri starts, betting on him to register at least one shot on target could be a good option, as he has been in excellent form recently. Additionally, Kevin De Bruyne to provide an assist is a bet worth considering, given his vision and ability to unlock defenses.
Best Betting Tips:
✅ Double Chance: Arsenal or Draw
✅ Under 3.5 Goals
✅ Kevin De Bruyne – Assist
✅ Ethan Nwaneri – At Least 1 Shot on Target
This promises to be an intense and tightly contested match, where a single moment of brilliance could make all the difference.
