Game Week 24 Predictions: Arsenal to beat City to keep title hopes alive

Arsenal face Man City in a crucial title clash at the Emirates. Can the Gunners make a statement, or will City’s firepower prove too much?

The hostility between Gabriel Maghalaes of Arsenal and Erling Haaland of Manchester City continues on Sunday as both sides meet again at the Emirates. (Photo credit: Sky Sports)

 Arsenal vs. Manchester City

Emirates Stadium

5:30 pm

If there’s one game that underlines Arsenal’s title ambition, it must be this one, and the Gunners cannot afford to pass on the chance to make a statement.

The Gunners have made it to the round of 16 in the Champions League without having to play a two-legged playoff later this month and could well be off to Dubai to refresh the squad after their midweek game against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup.

Manchester City scraped past Club Brugge in the Champions League to survive an embarrassing ouster from the competition they won in 2023. The 3-1 win confirmed their place in the playoffs, where they will sink or swim; they will face the holders, Real Madrid, for a ticket in the round of 16.

The Cityzens are quite tough to predict this season; they have managed to string results together in the league in recent games, but they still look fragile at the back and unconvincing up front, although they hammered Ipswich 6-0 not too long ago.

The first leg at the Etihad was a game that had everything. From referee Michael Oliver sending off Leandro Trossard for kicking the ball away to Arsenal taking the lead and then City’s last-gasp leveller, it didn’t stop there; Erling Haaland telling Mikel Arteta to stay humble will ring in the minds of the Gunners.

The bad blood between the two managers may have been sorted, but trust Pep Guardiola to seek an important win over one of his former apprentices, and, after beating one in Enzo Maresca last weekend, trust him to seek the scalp of another on Sunday.

Arsenal remains without Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus. There were talks of a knock to David Raya, but the Spaniard should be available for selection while Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are both back in training; however, it is left to be seen if this game doesn’t come too soon for them.

Jeremy Docku, Ruben Dias, and Nathan Ake are all doubts for this one; however, Guardiola will assess them all ahead of kickoff. Haaland will love to score against Arsenal again; he has done so in three of his five games against them, and he also has his eyes on Mohammed Salah, who is peeling away in the Golden Boot race.

Arsenal is in the market for a striker, with Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins being touted to join; in the meantime, they must prosecute this one with Kai Havertz and the duo of Gabriel Martinelli, who scored in this fixture last season, and Trossard, with Martin Odegaard set to return after illness.

Also watch out for Ethan Nwaneri and a certain Raheem Sterling, who used to play for the champions. For the visitors, Oumar Marmoush was blistering on his debut last weekend, and Phil Foden could just be the key again for City.

Verdict: Arsenal to win.