The Premier League Matchday 24 encounter between Arsenal and Manchester City will take place on February 2 at the Emirates Stadium in London. Arsenal vs. Manchester City: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Arsenal
The Gunners continue to chase the leading Liverpool, trailing by six points (with the Merseyside club having a game in hand). In the last round, the Londoners secured a hard-fought victory over Wolverhampton, defeating one of the league's strugglers on their turf with a score of 1-0. This result extended the club's unbeaten run in the Premier League to 13 matches (8 wins and 5 draws). However, it's worth noting that in the previous two Premier League campaigns, Mikel Arteta's side had more points at this stage of the tournament (two and seven points more, respectively).
The suspension of defender Myles Lewis-Skelly has been lifted, allowing him to participate in this match. However, forwards Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka, along with defenders Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ben White, will miss out due to injuries.
- The number "1" has appeared in the final scoreline in 6 of Arsenal's last 7 league games.
- No more than three goals have been scored in 7 of the Gunners' last 10 Premier League matches.
- The Londoners have not lost in the first half in their last 20 home Premier League matches (13 wins and 7 draws).
Predicted lineup for Arsenal (4-3-3)
David Raya – Myles Lewis-Skelly, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Jurrien Timber – Thomas Partey, Declan Rice, Ethan Nwaneri – Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard.
Manchester City
The Citizens have remained unbeaten in the league since Christmas. During this period, the team has secured four wins and two draws. In the last two rounds, the Mancunians achieved convincing victories: first, they thrashed Ipswich away (6-0), and then they overcame Chelsea at home (3-1). It's also worth noting that Pep Guardiola's side has scored at least two goals in their last five Premier League matches. The club has returned to the top four but trails the leaders by 12 points.
Defenders Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake, along with midfielder Rodri Hernandez, will miss the match due to injuries.
- At least three goals have been scored in 8 of Manchester City's last 10 Premier League games.
- Both teams have scored in 7 of the Citizens' last 9 Premier League matches.
- Two or more goals have been scored in the second half in 6 of the Mancunians' last 8 away league matches.
Predicted lineup for Manchester City (4-2-3-1)
Ederson – Abdukodir Khusanov, Josko Gvardiol, Manuel Akanji, Matheus Nunes – Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan – Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Omar Marmoush – Erling Haaland.
Referee
Peter Bankes (England)
Matches – 14 (Premier League, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 58;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.1;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 19;
Penalties – 21%.
Arsenal vs. Manchester City: Match Prediction
For the first time since December 2015, the Gunners are favorites against Manchester City, but it's worth mentioning that in the last eight head-to-head encounters at the Emirates in the league, the hosts have won only once. Meanwhile, the Mancunians have secured six victories in this period (with one draw).
It's also worth noting that Pep Guardiola remains the toughest opponent for Mikel Arteta in his managerial career (considering only those managers Arteta has faced at least twice). The Spanish managers have met 13 times at the official level, with the Arsenal boss winning only three times, suffering eight defeats (with two draws).
In my view, Manchester City has put their crisis behind them and can certainly aim for a positive result in the upcoming match. I would like to add that the Citizens have an excellent record against the Gunners – with only one defeat in the last 18 Premier League meetings (13 wins and 4 draws). Based on all these factors, my prediction is Manchester City to win or draw.