Friends become foes once more on Sunday afternoon as Arsenal host Manchester City in a highly-anticipated Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium. With the defending champions looking to to pull it within just three points, Arsenal need a victory to keep their title chances alive.
Arsenal’s Momentum and Home Strength
Mikel Arteta’s team has found its groove again after a rocky start to 2025. Arsenal’s unbeaten home league run this season continued with a labored 1-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers, secured by Riccardo Calafiori’s goal. Although Myles Lewis-Skelly’s red card — subsequently rescinded — sparked controversy, the Gunners exhibited resilience, a quality they’ll require against Pep Guardiola’s City, on the up and up.
Some of those 5 wins have been due to squad depth, something that teams like Arsenal have had few problems with since gameweek 11 where they have taken home 29 points, a league-best. Arsenal midweek booked their group-stage passage in Europe with a 2-1 Champions League win over Girona. Ethan Nwaneri’s goal of the year contender has led to calls for his inclusion in Sunday’s starting XI, adding a layer of intrigue to Arsenal’s team news.
The Revival and Title Push of Manchester City
After a turbulent winter, Manchester City is starting to hit its stride again, on a six-match league unbeaten streak. Their comeback victory, 3-1, against Chelsea on the weekend showed that second-half-of-the-season dominance would be no exception. City have won 39 of their last 40 top-flight games played from January onwards, a heady statistic for any challenger.
But City’s midweek test in the Champions League was a reminder of their susceptibility. There was a narrow escape up against Club Brugge that secured progression but also exposed defensive fray. With a two-legged U.C.L. playoff against Real Madrid ahead, Guardiola’s side can afford no slip ups at home or abroad.
Team News Injuries and Comebacks:
Arsenal continue to be saddled with an injury list, with Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu not available. Goalkeeper David Raya is a doubt having suffered a muscular injury, while Lewis-Skelly will be available again after his red card was overturned. Ethan Nwaneri, the rising star, is also in line for a start after heroics in the Champions League.
Rodri, Ruben Dias, Jeremy Doku, Oscar Bobb, and Nathan Ake will not be available for Manchester City But the return of Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis will provide Guardiola with more options. Marmoush is expected to start, while Khusanov is likely to find himself on the bench after his shaky debut against Chelsea.
Predicted Lineups
Arsenal: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Nwaneri, Havertz, Martinelli.
Manchester City: Ederson; Nunes, Akanji, Stones, Gvardiol; Silva, Kovacic, De Bruyne; Foden, Haaland, Marmoush.
Match Prediction
Arsenal will look to their rugged center-back pairing of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba to keep Erling Haaland in check, while their own fresh-legged stars will look to exploit City’s European malaise. A 1-0 win for the Gunners could be on the cards, like last year’s last-minute drama after Scott McTominay’s red card.
Sunday’s encounter promises to be decisive in the title race, with Arsenal seeking to reaffirm their credentials and Manchester City hoping to indebt to Liverpool.
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