Man City vs Arsenal predictions: City to draw first blood in title fight

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

It’s first against second on Sunday when Manchester City host Arsenal at the Etihad, on the back of both teams being in Champions League action (4.30pm, Sky Sports Main Event).

Both teams played out goalless draws against Italian opposition in their European openers, with City being held at home by Inter, while the Gunners had David Raya to thank for a share of the spoils away to Atalanta.

Neither side were at their best in midweek, perhaps having one eye on this clash given these two have finished first and second in the standings the last two seasons.

Arsenal have finished runners-up on both occasions and while it’s too early in the season to say that this is a must-win for the Gunners, previous campaigns suggest taking points from City could be the difference between finishing second or winning the title, even in September.

Betting sites aren’t expecting City to drop points at home, where they haven’t lost in the league since December 2022, and Pep Guardiola’s men are a best price of 17/20. The Gunners are as big as 18/5 on some betting apps to close the gap on City and did take four points off them last season.

City have a 100 per cent record in the league so far, putting them two points clear of Arsenal, who beat Tottenham last week to bounce back from their only slip when being held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton.

Declan Rice missed the north London derby through suspension but will be back in the mix on Sunday, while is a boost for boss Mikel Arteta, who is without skipper Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

City have been hit by the injury bug too though with Kevin de Bruyne trending towards missing this game with the injury he picked up against Inter, while Nathan Ake is unavailable.

Despite their 100 per cent start, City are only even-money to win the title on Premier League betting sites. Similar starts would have likely seen them enter their fifth game of the season at much shorter odds.

But those prices are a testament to the huge strides made by Arsenal in the last two seasons and they are no bigger than 2/1 for the title.

The Gunners earned four points against Manchester City in the Premier League last season, which is double the amount they had from their previous 15 meetings (W0 D2 L13) but they still lost out in the title race by two points.

And it’s still hard to see them finishing above City over the course of 38 games heading into a fixture where Pep Guardiola’s men may have a bit of extra quality.

City are unbeaten at the Etihad against Arsenal since 2015, when goals from Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud earned the Gunners a 2-0 win.

Since then, they have picked up just two draws while the champions have won the other seven meetings. The last match in Manchester ended goalless, but we can’t see that happening again this time around.

City are looking to become the first team in English top-flight history to win their first five games in five different campaigns, having previously done so in 1912-13, 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2023-24 but Arsenal won’t make it easy.

They haven’t trailed in any of their last 11 away league games and could become the first side in league history to go 12 successive matches on the road without falling behind in any, but they will have to make sure they keep Erling Haaland quiet for starters.

The Norwegian already has nine goals from four league appearances, including hat-tricks against Ipswich and West Ham.

He will be looking to break his own record of the fewest games taken to reach double figures, which currently stands at six and was achieved last season. A goal against Arsenal would not only break that record but it would also be his 100th for City in just 104 games.

Football betting sites make Haaland 10/11 to become only the second player this season to score against Arsenal, while he’s as big as 28/1 to score his third hat-trick of the season.

City have gone behind in two of their four league matches so far against Ipswich and Brentford and all that seemed to do was spur Haaland into action, with three goals against the Tractor Boys in a 4-1 win and both goals in the 2-1 win over the Bees.

The champions’ ability to overcome a deficit makes them an interesting price to win from behind again. Arsenal are a step up in quality to the sides City have faced this season but Haaland’s red-hot form and their excellent record at home suggests they can turn the game around should they fall behind.

Manchester City vs Arsenal prediction: Man City to win from behind - 21/2 BetVictor

Sunday’s game is arguably the biggest top flight fixture of the season so far and Premier League betting sites have come up with several special offers for the match, including BetMGM.

They are giving away a £2 free bet builder for City vs Arsenal to every eligible customer that places a £10 in-play this week.

To qualify, you’ll need to have completed the BetMGM sign up offer and be an existing customer. Next, opt in to the offer and place a minimum £10 bet on any sport in-play at odds of evens or greater.

You’ll then receive a £2 free bet builder to wager on City vs Arsenal. The bet builder must have combined minimum odds of evens to qualify for the free bet.

When having a bet, it’s vital to practice responsible gambling.

Betting can be addictive and it’s important to stay in control of your betting. Never treat gambling as a way to make money, never bet more than you can afford and when the fun stops, stop.

Gambling sites offer punters tools, like deposit limits, profit and loss trackers and self exclusion options, to help them stay in control.

But if you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don’t hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below.

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