EPL: Arsenal vs Man City Odds, Preview
City Coming off First EPL Loss
Title Contenders Meet in London
Last season, Arsenal led the Premier League from nearly start to finish, but Manchester City’s late push sealed a third straight title win. The two title contenders will face off in the Premier League for the first time in 2023-24. Arsenal host Man City, who are coming off their first EPL loss of the season, at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. If City win, which they frequently have vs. Arsenal as of late, they’ll stay on top of the EPL table. We’ll take a closer look at the Arsenal vs Man City odds for the Premier League match of the week.
Arsenal vs Manchester City
Date & Time:
Location: Emirates Stadium, London, England
Arsenal vs Man City Head-to-Head:
The last opportunity to bet on the Arsenal vs Man City odds was back in August when they played in the FA Community Shield. Cole Palmer, who’s now at Chelsea, gave Manchester City the lead on a curling strike, but Leandro Trossard equalized for Arsenal at the death. The Gunners ended up winning in penalties.
Manchester City won both Premier League meetings last season and are on a 12-game EPL winning streak in this fixture. Kevin de Bruyne and Erling Haaland scored in both EPL fixtures for City in 2022-23.
Saka Injured for Arsenal
Arsenal lost for the first time this 2023 Premier League season on their trip to France in the Champions League on Tuesday. After taking the lead on a Gabriel Jesus strike, Arsenal conceded twice to Lens and fell 2-1. More concerningly, star winger Bukayo Saka picked up a muscle injury in the match and is now a doubt to face Manchester City on Sunday.
Saka has arguably been the Gunners’ most important EPL player this season and has registered four goals and two assists in the EPL.
Mikel Arteta does not have a direct replacement for Saka, which could cause issues if he’s out. Fabio Vieira is more of an attacking midfielder, and Reiss Nelson is more comfortable playing on the left wing. Gabriel Martinelli, Arsenal’s usual starting left winger, has also missed the last few matches and probably won’t start on Sunday, even if he’s available.
Thomas Partey is set to return from injury for this Arsenal vs Manchester City match, though. In any case, Arsenal have been one of the more inconsistent soccer picks today against the spread, as they’re just 2-3 in their last five.
They did demolish Bournemouth 4-0 in their last EPL match, though, and are one of just two unbeaten Premier League teams remaining. With the attacking injuries, Arteta will likely rely on Gabriel Jesus as either striker or left wing, and it’ll be a big day for him to face his former team.
Man City Stop the Bleeding
Last week, Manchester City went on the road to Newcastle in the EFL Cup and fell 1-0. It was the first time Pep Guardiola’s side failed to score in a match all season. Then, they had a trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League last weekend but fell 2-1 as Guardiola served a touchline ban. Erling Haaland was noticeably quiet as Craig Dawson and the Wolves’ defense shut him down.
Julian Alvarez scored City’s goal in the loss, and he was also on target on Wednesday at RB Leipzig. Phil Foden scored Man City’s opener in the midweek Champions League game as Alvarez and Jeremy Doku also got on the scoresheet in the 3-1 win. While Haaland leads the EPL, with eight goals, Alvarez has also proven his worth this season.
The attacking pair is a significant reason why Man City is on top of the EPL table, even with Kevin de Bruyne out. The EPL odds show that City are -190 favorites to become champions for a fourth straight season. Along with De Bruyne being out, key midfielder Rodri will serve the third match of a red card suspension in this match. His absence is a massive blow for City.
Match Analysis & Odds
Heading into Sunday’s match, the Arsenal vs Man City odds list the hosts as +200 underdogs. Although it’s rare for Arsenal to lose at the Emirates, City has been the team that has had the most success compared to Arsenal in recent years. Even without Rodri and Kevin de Bruyne, Man City are +135 favorites to win and stay on top of the table.
Manchester City have averaged three goals per game in their last five Premier League matches vs. Arsenal, but both over and under 2.5 goals display -110 odds for this one. Both teams have scored in the last three EPL matchups, and Arsenal will feel they can win this one, especially if Bukayo Saka can suit up.
Arsenal pk sits at +105 odds, while bettors can take Man City pk at -125. Even though Cityzens are on a 12-game EPL winning streak vs. Arsenal, the teams have seldom, if ever, been this close in terms of quality. Punters can take a draw at +245 odds in what should be a highly entertaining early-season match between title contenders.
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