Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
The headline match of the Premier League's fifth round will take place on Sunday evening at the Etihad Stadium, where Manchester City will host Arsenal. Here’s the expert prediction from Dailysports for this encounter.
Manchester City
Last season, the "Citizens" clinched their fourth consecutive Premier League title, though they fell short in defending their Champions League crown, exiting at the quarter-final stage to Real Madrid after a penalty shootout. City began this campaign with a victory in the Community Shield over rivals Manchester United.
In the first four rounds of the Premier League, City have maintained a flawless record. August saw them defeat Chelsea and West Ham away, as well as Ipswich at home. Last weekend, following the international break, City managed to overcome Brentford despite conceding the first goal. Midweek, they kicked off their Champions League campaign with a draw against Inter at the Etihad.
Arsenal
For two consecutive seasons, the "Gunners" have been in the title race until the final round, yet they still haven’t managed to dethrone Manchester City. Nevertheless, Arsenal have returned to the Champions League, where they topped their group and reached the knockout stages, only to be eliminated by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.
Arsenal have also made a solid start to this season but have already dropped points. This occurred in a home match against Brighton, where they found themselves down to ten men. Last weekend, Arsenal secured a 1-0 away victory over Tottenham, before playing out a 0-0 draw against Atalanta in the Champions League.
Match Facts
- Both teams have scored in three of their last five encounters.
- The "Total Over 2.5" bet has been successful in three of the last five meetings.
- City striker Haaland has already netted nine goals this season, though he failed to score in the match against Inter.
H2H
Manchester City have failed to beat Arsenal in their last three meetings, including a loss in an away game last season. However, at the Etihad, City have not lost to Arsenal since 2015, winning eight out of their last 10 encounters.
Probable Lineups
- Manchester City: Ederson, Gvardiol, Akanji, Dias, Lewis, De Bruyne, Rodri, Silva, Savinho, Grealish, Haaland
- Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Rice, Partey, Havertz, Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
Prediction
Bookmakers favour the home side in this fixture, offering odds of 1.87 for a Manchester City victory. We believe the "Citizens" have a strong chance of winning this match, and our pick is a "Manchester City Win."
