Premier League: Title Contenders Out to Lay Down a Marker

Arsenal vs Manchester City

After finishing as Premier League runners-up three seasons in a row, this is exactly the type of game Arsenal need to win if they are to go one place higher and end a title drought that currently stands at 21 years. To beat the side that finished above them in two of the past three seasons would certainly lay down a marker.

And then what of City? Should they lose in North London, they would be a whopping nine points behind their rivals. It’s early days, but the importance of producing Premier League 2025 highlights and securing maximum points in this clash is already clear.

 

Talking Points

There are serious doubts over the availability of captain Martin Odegaard, who had left the field in discomfort fairly early on with a shoulder injury against Nottingham Forest last weekend. That jogged the mind of this SBOTOP observer to last term when key injuries undermined their title bid before Christmas. Manager Mikel Arteta is keen to avoid such a repeat this time around and has since strengthened the ranks.

One of those brought in at great cost helped himself to a fine double against Forest as Martin Zubimendi scored a fine volley, which took a slight deflection, for the opener, and rounded off the scoring.

In between, two other big-money arrivals teamed up less than a minute after the restart when Eberechi Eze, making his first start for Arsenal, teed up Viktor Gyokeres to tap in from close range.

It is that strength which should give the Gunners more about them this term.

They had higher gears to move into against Forest and will probably need to against City, although it was hard to fully assess them too closely either in their comprehensive Manchester derby win, so disjointed were their opponents.

Both teams were in European action in midweek.

When they landed in the Basque Country, Arsenal had an opening training session featuring Christian Norgaard and the return of William Saliba (the former featuring for the final moments against Athletic Bilbao).

There were, though, just shy of half a dozen notable omissions, including Ben White, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, and Odegaard, with only the latter having a fighting chance of recovering for this weekend.

As for City, they will have a disadvantage as only play their Champions League opener at home to Napoli on Thursday, complete with new goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, a Napoli boy.

 

History

Arsenal have a vast superiority in the overall head-to-head record with 101 triumphs compared to 65 City wins and 47 draws. City held a distinct upper hand once their takeover in 2008 saw them inherit newfound wealth.

Indeed, they won 12 matches in a row against the Gunners in the Premier League between 2017 and 2023.

That dominance has been halted over the past two seasons with two Arsenal victories and two draws, as well as a penalty shootout success in the 2023 Community Shield after a 1-1 draw in which Cole Palmer (now of Chelsea) and Leandro Trossard traded goals.

City’s last victory over Arsenal was in April two years ago, when Kevin De Bruyne (two), John Stones, and Erling Haaland were the marksmen, with Rob Holding adding what amounted to no more than a consolation as City all but killed off their opponents’ title hopes.

Last season, Arsenal turned on the style in this fixture with Odegaard, Thomas Partey, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz, and Ethan Nwaneri on target in a 5-1 win. Haaland had briefly drawn City level.

The fixture in Manchester, exactly a year ago this weekend, was a thriller and the one that proved to be a negative turning point for City’s title defence.

It was utterly chaotic and utterly brilliant, including Haaland’s 100th goal for the club (in just 105 appearances), a Mikel Arteta team playing the entire second half with 10 men but remaining brilliantly drilled, and a dramatic intervention in the 98th minute from John Stones, which meant City returned to the summit.

More crucially, though, it cost Rodri the remainder of the season due to a serious injury, and they have never been quite the same since.

Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel were the scorers that afternoon for Arsenal, who played the entire second half with 10 men.

James Henderson was someone whose name will mean little to readers, but the Scottish inside forward was the first ever scorer in the first ever game between the sides in 1893 – a clash between Woolwich Arsenal and Ardwick in Plumstead in Division Two, which the southerners won 1-0.

 

Betting Tip

Another 5-1 win is highly unlikely, although you can get odds on a 4-1 home success @ 38.00 with Correct Score. Or how about a repeat of last season’s thriller at the Etihad, which will pay out @ a whopping 80.00 with Correct Score 2-2.

Our Premier League 2025 betting odds also show that Arsenal can be backed 1X2 @ 2.00, City 1X2 @ 3.40, and the draw @ 3.26.

Asian Handicap options include Arsenal -0.75 @ 2.25 – my *** prediction – and City +0.25 @ 2.21.

And if you fancy a fair few goals, then look at Over 3.00 @ 2.38, Total Goal 2-3 @ 2.00, or 4-6 @ 3.10, as opposed to 0-1 @ 3.39.

   

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