Here we go. The big one. It’s Manchester City vs Arsenal.

While this fixture will not definitively decide the end of the Premier League title race, this is about as close to a winner-takes-all affair as you’ll likely find in England’s top flight. Arsenal need a win to keep the race in their hands, while a City victory would kick off a favourable run of fixtures that would likely end with a trophy in their hands.

City are the form team heading into this one, with a famous treble still on the cards, while Arsenal have dropped off at just the wrong time and must end a run of three straight draws.

Here’s all you need to know about this one.

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Man City vs Arsenal H2H Results (Last Five Games)

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Current Form (Last Five Games)

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Man City team news

Pep Guardiola’s squad is bordering on full strength, but the boss will be sweating over the fitness of Nathan Ake. The Dutchman, arguably City’s best non-Haalander this season, is dealing with a minor muscle injury which kept him out of the FA Cup semi-final.

(3-2-4-1): Ederson; Akanji, Dias, Laporte; Stones, Rodri; Mahrez, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Grealish; Haaland.

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Arsenal team news

Arsenal are braced for confirmation that centre-back William Saliba’s season is over after Mikel Arteta confessed that his recovery from a back injury has been significantly slower than expected. He’ll miss this one alongside long-term absentees Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mohamed Elneny.

The boss also admitted that the unwell Granit Xhaka remains doubtful, having not trained with the team in the build-up to the game.

(4-3-3): Ramsdale; White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Jorginho, Partey, Odegaard; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.

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One glance at the form guide and you’ll see why Man City come into this one as favourites. They’ve been seeing off everyone, including Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, whereas Arsenal just had to claw their way to a 3-3 draw with the Premier League’s bottom side, Southampton.

Losing Saliba has come at an awful time and it leaves a shaky Arsenal backline faced with the prospect of coming up against Erling Haaland, who needs just one more goal to secure the 38-game season scoring record in England.

City aren’t perfect at the back either, but their irrepressible push for a league, FA Cup and Champions League treble feels too strong to slow down at this point.

Prediction: Man City 3-1 Arsenal

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