With 70 points for the season and 16 successive matches unbeaten, Man City is now in a comfortable position. They have won all 12 of their home games at the Etihad in 2023, scoring at least two goals in every game barring a 1-0 FA Cup win over Arsenal. Arsenal, on the other hand, has shown signs of frailty, letting successive two-goal leads slip in their 2-2 draws with West Ham United and Liverpool. Their ongoing defensive concerns were highlighted in their match against Southampton.
Despite these concerns, Arsenal remains the best-performing away side in the Premier League season, with 36 points from 16 games on the road and conceding a joint-low 13 goals. They have also found the back of the net at least twice in each of their last eight top-flight matches home or away. However, Arsenal has lost each of their last 11 Premier League games against Man City since a 2-2 draw in 2017. If they lose again, the Gooners may very well say goodbye to their title hopes.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Ahead of Wednesday's crucial match, Man City have a nearly clean bill of health, except for Nathan Ake, who is nursing a thigh injury after scoring the winning goal in January's FA Cup victory over Arsenal. Manager Guardiola may make changes to the team, bringing back John Stones, Ruben Dias, Rodri, and Kevin De Bruyne, while Riyad Mahrez, who scored a hat-trick against Sheffield United, could also start.Erling Braut Haaland, who has scored 32 goals this season, needs just one more to break the record for a 38-game season. If he scores his seventh hat-trick in Man City colors, he will set a new record in the Premier League. Arsenal has a defensive concern as William Saliba is expected to miss Wednesday's game and potentially the rest of the season due to a back injury, leaving Rob Holding to face Haaland.
Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mohamed Elneny will not play as they recover from season-ending knee surgeries, but Granit Xhaka is expected to play after recovering from an illness that ruled him out of the last game. Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus may start against their former club, and Gabriel Martinelli can break the record for the most goals by a Brazilian player in a single Premier League season with his 16th strike. His current tally of 15 is equal to Roberto Firmino's 2017-18 record.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Manchester City possible starting lineup:Ederson; Akanji, Dias, Laporte; Stones, Rodri; Mahrez, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Grealish; Haaland
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Ramsdale; White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Xhaka, Partey; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Jesus
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
Manchester City 4-2 Arsenal
Arsenal may face a tough challenge on Wednesday night without William Saliba, who plays a critical role in both their defensive and offensive tactics. His absence could make things difficult for the Gunners and allow Man City to dominate the game.
However, the return of Xhaka to the midfield should prevent a repeat of the previous game against Southampton, where they were easily bypassed. Despite this, it will still be a difficult task for Arsenal as Man City have been unbeatable at home and are in excellent form, scoring goals for fun. They are expected to comfortably win the game and take a significant step towards dethroning Arsenal as the champions.
