Arsenal v Manchester City: Team news and predictions

The game kicks off at 1600 GMT at the Emirates Stadium, live on Sky Sports 1 HD.  

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Arsenal v Manchester City: Our prediction 

1pt Danny Welbeck to score anytime at 13/5 - fresh after an injury-hit season and looks a major threat for the hosts

David John writes...

It is hard to know what to expect next from the embattled Arsene Wenger and his Gunners in a Premier League season that is a whisker away from implosion.

They could be out of the top six come kick-off if Everton win the Merseyside derby as Wenger’s ongoing will he/won’t he cat and mouse with the press over his future at the Emirates has without question had a detrimental effect on productivity since the end of January.

They have lost six of their last nine games (four from five in the top flight) with players looking utterly disinterested and disenfranchised when we saw them in a feeble performance at West Brom a fortnight ago. 

The buck stops with the venerable Frenchman though who has created this mess by dithering over his future plans but can still rescue the situation to some extent with time on the clock and some potential silverware in the form of another FA Cup triumph.

The international break is perhaps a chance to start afresh with 11 games to play and the switch to a new month could also help judged on recent history – Arsenal have suffered just one defeat in their last 20 games staged in April. 

‘Ifs’ and ‘buts’ have seen many a punter left with an empty wallet but if Danny Welbeck’s second-half header at The Hawthorns had been a couple of inches lower then the recovery may have already started and embarking on the final push for a top-four spot against Pep Guardiola could be tackled with a bit more relish.

Wenger’s woes have been a bit of a blessing as technically it should be the Spaniard on the wrong end of all the negative press after a bang average first season in charge at the Etihad Stadium.

I have little doubt he would have felt he could jet into England and win the Premier League immediately but a rubbish goalkeeper, rubbish defence and rubbish exit from the Champions League has brought him down a peg or two – he can expect both barrels from the media if he fails to make things significantly better next season.

City have been huge fun to watch and unplayable at times when they swarm forward with pace and precision but the fundamentals are ultimately flawed thanks to the regular Keystone Cop activity amongst the back four. 

One or two pieces of interesting team news make this fixture even more of an enigma – Petr Cech is out so the erratic David Ospina comes in while Alexis Sanchez and Kevin De Bruyne are not guaranteed to start with slight question marks following their exertions for Chile and Belgium. 

Whether that pair are involved or not, this game revolves around attacking intent so you would expect to see both teams to score and over 2.5 goals priced out of the market with odds-on quotes. 

Yet, despite all of the earlier ranting, I have an inkling the hosts might just pull something out of the hat at 11/4 to answer the critics but I marginally prefer going down the anytime goalscorer route instead with an interest on Welbeck.

It has been another rotten season for the England striker due to injury but he scored at Liverpool, got through all 90 minutes against West Brom and could be a key cog in the wheel to provide some fresh impetus over the closing weeks. 

He is a quality finisher when on song and his sharpness in and about defences is exactly what keeps Pep and his coaching staff up at night.

Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Manchester City 

Arsenal v Manchester City: Team news

Arsenal will be without first-choice goalkeeper Petr Cech for the visit of Premier League rivals Manchester City on Sunday.

The former Czech Republic international was forced off with a calf injury during the 3-1 loss at West Brom before the international break and has not recovered in time to face City so David Ospina will deputise.

Forward Lucas Perez (thigh) has also been ruled out but both Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez should start having represented their countries in the past week, while Santi Cazorla (Achilles) will not play again this season.

Manchester City forwards Kevin De Bruyne (groin) and Raheem Sterling (back) are both in contention for Sunday's Premier League trip to Arsenal.

The pair were doubtful after picking up injuries on international duty but, while not 100 per cent fit, are hopeful of featuring.

Defender Pablo Zabaleta has also overcome a knock suffered while with Argentina but striker Gabriel Jesus (foot) - who is making good progress - and midfielder Ilkay Gundogan (knee) remain on the sidelines.

Arsenal (from): Ospina, Martinez, Bellerin, Holding, Gabriel, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Mustafi, Monreal, Gibbs, Maitland-Niles, Coquelin, Xhaka, Ramsey, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ozil, Walcott, Reine-Adelaide, Iwobi, Sanchez, Giroud, Welbeck.

Man City (from): Caballero, Bravo, Sagna, Zabaleta, Kompany, Otamendi, Stones, Clichy, Kolarov, Fernando, Fernandinho, Toure, Delph, Sane, Sterling, Silva, Navas, De Bruyne, Nolito, Aguero, Iheanacho.

Arsenal v Manchester City: Manager quotes

Arsene Wenger (Arsenal)

Asked if he was planning for next season, he replied: "Yes, of course.

"But that again, I told you, do I stay two months or 10 years, I plan. I do my job exactly the same. Of course you can do that." 

"Yes of course," he replied when asked if transfer targets will ask if he will be at the club.

"But we are always honest and when you speak with people you are always honest. Arsenal is a world brand today, respected all over the world.

"The Arsenal name is bigger than my name and coming to Arsenal is more important - you don't come to Arsene Wenger, you come to Arsenal.

"But we are at the moment not in a transfer mode. We analyse what we have to strengthen but we are not in contract negotiations at the moment with players." 

Asked about current form, he said: "I'm concerned because we have bad results and we are not where we want to be, especially in our last game we didn't produce a performance that we wanted to produce.

"We want to play at the top of the Premier League and therefore, of course, when you are responsible you're concerned because the confidence drops quickly and you need belief to play well in football. It's important we recreate and rebuild quickly to bring back desire and confidence.

"It's the first time it's happened to us and that's why the team is not used to dealing with that. I believe it's just down to our desire, mental strengths and when you're men, you want to take care of your future."

Asked on Thursday if he had anything to say about his future, he said: "Not today but I'm very clear in my mind.

"I've always been very clear in my mind. I will remain like that. I think it's a subject that at the moment is not sorted completely out. It's not, at the moment, the most important subject at the club." 

On Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil: "That is true that it happened before when we were in positions where we had to sell financially our best players. That's not the case anymore.

"Look, he has one and a half years left on his contract. I don't think it's an immediate concern to Arsenal Football Club.

"They (Sanchez and Ozil) are not out of contract at the end of the season. I personally believe that both of them want to stay and I hope that the club will find an agreement with them.

"It's true that we have not extended his contract yet. I hope that he will stay at the club but overall I think you have as well to be very cautious when people give interviews in their home countries.

"The interpretation is not always exactly what they wanted to say. I don't see anything in that - he said he wants to win the championship, that's what everybody wants. I can understand that completely." 

Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)

On Arsene Wenger: "All the managers want to win. It's simple like that. We are strong when we win, we are weak when we don't win.

"When he goes back to winning, the fans will be happy again. I promise you, 100 per cent.

"People should understand how difficult football is today, all the teams are more prepared. When the bosses decide, or Arsene decides, to stay and keep going he believes it is the best solution and the best for Arsenal.

"You cannot stay, I don't know how many years Arsene has been in charge of Arsenal, without ability.

"Here a friend of mine, (assistant coach) Mikel Arteta, who was with him for a lot of years, only has good words about Arsene. I believe more in that.

"Managers lose games. He's been there a long time because he's good." 

On Gabrial Jesus' recovery the manager said: "The crutches are gone. He has started to walk and hopefully he can come back to the pitches and start to run and make some exercises.

"Hopefully he can help us in the last games of the season and come back for us in the pre-season fit." 

On international friendlies: "The federations and the managers want the players to play as much as possible to play games to prepare for the World Cup.

"Of course we want all the players to go there. I never avoid (prevent) one player from going. But we want them to go there and come back safe, and play as few minutes as possible.

"I agree a little bit. Now we play for many things. All the clubs are here for many minutes and the people are preparing for the quarter-finals of the Champions League, the Europa League, for the Premier League, for qualifications, and it's a risk to play a friendly game.

"If we could avoid this, that would be better, but the schedule is the schedule. It's too many games. It's crazy how many games there are in all the leagues.

"Always the national team deserves to play games, but when we have 20 games in a thousand million competitions, it looks a little ridiculous." 

Arsenal v Manchester City: Opta facts 

Arsenal have lost just one of 19 previous home Premier League matches against Manchester City (W11 D6). 

Manchester City are looking to the double over Arsenal in a league season for the first time since 1975/76. 

The last seven Premier League meetings between these two sides have produced 27 goals - 3.86 per game, on average. 

Arsene Wenger has won just two of his previous nine competitive meetings with Pep Guardiola (W2 D2 L5), both in the Champions League. 

This is only the second time that Arsenal have found themselves outside the top five in the Premier League as late as April in a season under Arsene Wenger – the other occasion was in April 2006. 

On the day of this game, Arsenal will have spent 1209 days behind Manchester City in the Premier League table since the start of 2011-12. In the six Premier League seasons prior to this (2005-06 to 2010-11) they spent just 246 days behind Man City in the Premier League table. 

Theo Walcott has scored four goals in his last four Premier League games versus Manchester City, but he hasn't scored in the league since December (against City). 

Only Thierry Henry (0.73) has a better goals per game record against Premier League sides from London than Sergio Aguero (0.70) – min. 15 games. The Argentine striker has 37 goals in 53 apps against teams from the capital. 

These two sides have scored the most goals through substitutes in the Premier League this season – Arsenal (8) and Manchester City (7). 

Pep Guardiola has suffered five league defeats as Manchester City boss this season - he's never lost six in a single league campaign as a manager. 

Manchester City have won just four of their last 15 Premier League matches played on a Sunday (W4 D6 L5). 

If all goals scored after the 85th minute in the Premier League this season were removed, Arsenal would be seven points worse off (more than any other side) and below WBA & Everton in the table (8th).  

Arsenal v Manchester City: Sky Bet odds

Arsenal have lost consecutive Premier League games 3-1 and another similar outcome in favour of the visitors is a 16/1 chance. The hosts can be backed at 19/10 to receive a shot in the arm and collect all three points with a draw trading at 13/5. City go into the game as 13/10 favourites having drawn their last two in the top flight while a repeat of the 2-1 outcome to City from the encounter just before Christmas can be backed at 8/1 with Sergio Aguero (4/1) and Alexis Sanchez (5/1) the obvious market leaders to open the scoring.  

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