The biggest game of the Premier League season takes place on Wednesday, as the top two in the standings collide at the Etihad. Man City has two games in hand over Arsenal, meaning that the Gunners must pick up maximum points if they are going to retain their title for the third straight season.
Man City vs Arsenal Match Odds & Pick
Man City come into this title decider as the clear favourites in the betting. Pep Guardiola’s side is a 11/20 chance to land maximum points, while Arsenal is the outside selection at 9/2. The draw is also available at 7/2, which wouldn’t be the worst result for the home team.
Guardiola has an excellent record against the Gunners, having won all six of his showdowns with Arsenal at the Etihad. Arsenal is also on an eleven-game losing streak against the reigning champions, scoring just three in their last ten. The Gunners have a slight chance of still ending the season with the title, but we struggle to see anything other than an 18th home win in 20 games for City.
Pick: Man City at 11/20 with BetXchange.
First Goalscorer
Erling Haaland has been in excellent scoring form throughout the season, and he will be looking for his 49th goal in all competitions against the Gunners. However, he is plenty short enough in the betting with BetXchange at 5/2. Therefore, we will look elsewhere for our first goalscorer bet on Wednesday.
Riyad Mahrez could be an interesting alternative. The Algerian comes into this fixture after netting an FA Cup semi-final hat-trick against Sheffield United on Saturday. He has scored three goals and registered four assists in matches against Arsenal in all competitions, and he offers great value to net the opening goal on Wednesday at 9/1.
Pick: Riyad Mahrez to score first at 9/1 with BetXchange.
First Half Totals
Arsenal’s recent matches have led to goal infested first halves, with at least two goals being netted in each of their previous three. However, the FA Cup showdown between the sides at the Etihad was a tense showdown between the two sides in January.
We could see this match following a very similar pattern, with the scoring not being opened until the second half. For that reason, we could see under 1.5 goals being scored in the opening 45 minutes between these sides.
Pick: Under 1.5 First Half Goals at 11/20 with BetXchange.
Away Team Total Goals
The pressure will be on Arsenal to chase the victory on Wednesday, meaning that they will likely be on the front-foot from the opening minutes. However, they have struggled for creativity in the final third in each of their previous three.
Last week’s 3-3 draw against Southampton came after Arsenal looked short on ideas in the final third, and they will need to create many more opportunities to land maximum points on Wednesday. We could see them struggling against a City side that gives little away, meaning that they could fail to find the back of the net at the Etihad.
