Manchester City vs Arsenal

The stakes are at an all-time high for perennial Premier League champions Manchester City and table-topping Arsenal as they meet in a top-table six-pointer at the Etihad Stadium.

A 4-1 victory in this corresponding fixture last term saw Manchester City pip Arsenal to the Premier League title, and they’ll be looking to replicate that fit this weekend. Pep Guardiola’s men trail the Gunners by a single point, meaning an unprecedented fourth consecutive league title is a distinct possibility for the Spaniard’s high-flying side. Man City thumped Newcastle United 2-0 on the stroke of the international break to reach the FA Cup semi-finals, making it 22 unbeaten matches on the trot (W19, D3). Back at the Etihad, where they’ve not lost any of their last 38 outings in all competitions (W33, D5), the Citizens are confident of avenging a 1-0 defeat in October’s reverse fixture, which knocked them down from an outstanding 15-game unbeaten H2H run in the Premier League (W13, D2).

Meanwhile, Arsenal could play down their tag as ‘serial bottlers’ as they lead the way in the Premier League after starting the new calendar year with eight successive top-flight wins for the first time in the club’s history. Buoyed by a 6-0 demolition of rock-bottom Sheffield United on their last league travel, the Gunners are looking to complete their first season double against Man City since 2007/08. That could prove easier said than done, considering the last time they won a league fixture at the Etihad, their manager Mikel Arteta was still an active player for the club. Since that 2-0 triumph in 2015, they’ve only avoided defeat once in eight Premier League visits to Man City (D1), conceding 4+ goals in the last two. It’s equally significant to note that they’ve scored just once in their last four away league H2Hs (L4).