Arsenal vs Manchester City 16/12/19

16 December 2019

Manchester City will be looking to post their fifth successive win in the Premier League (PL) H2Hs with Arsenal when the two sides lock horns at the Emirates Stadium this weekend.

Unai Emery’s dismissal has done no good to the struggling home side that have now won just once in their last 11 competitive outings (W1, D7, L3). Indeed, since being appointed the interim manager, Freddie Ljungberg has secured only one triumph in four competitive matches (W1, D2, L1), seeing his team concede precisely two goals on three of those occasions. Since a narrow 1-0 win over Bournemouth, the Gunners have failed to pick up a win in four subsequent PL home games (D3, L1), with all of those fixtures seeing both teams score. The North Londoners now face a daunting prospect of beating City, as they’ve failed to do so in all three of their previous top-flight H2Hs held here (D1, L2). In fact, Arsenal have not scored a single goal in their last two PL home H2Hs with City, conceding at least two goals per match on both of those occasions.

The visitors have found themselves on the receiving end of Manchester United’s upturn in form, suffering a 2-1 home defeat in last weekend’s derby. The Citizens’ indifferent form in the recent period has seen them win just twice in their previous five PL outings (W2, D1, L2). As a consequence, they now trail table-toppers Liverpool by 14 points and are seemingly unlikely to return to the title race. Pep Guardiola seems unable to fix City’s defensive problems, with his side failing to keep a clean sheet in ten consecutive competitive games ahead of this trip. Interestingly, all four of their last away matches in all competitions have produced over 3.5 goals and witnessed both teams score, with City running out 4-1 winners in both of their previous competitive road trips.