Man City vs Arsenal
Premier League 2018-19
Venue: Etihad Stadium
Date: Sunday, February 3, 2019
Kick-off: 4:30pm GMT
Manchester City host Arsenal on Sunday needing a win having lost ground in the Premier League title race in midweek.
City looked set to seal another victory as they led 1-0 at Newcastle United, but the Magpies fought back to seal a shock 2-1 win over the champions to blow open the title race.
Liverpool had the chance to go seven points clear, but their Anfield draw against Leicester City meant Jurgen Klopp's side sit five points above Pep Guardiola's side.
As for Arsenal, Chelsea's 5-0 demolition of Huddersfield sees the Gunners sitting fourth as the battle for the final Champions League qualification spot looks likely to be between Unai Emery's men, Maurizio Sarri's Blues and Manchester United.
Man City team news and predicted line-up
There are worries over City goalkeeper Ederson, who suffered a bad cut against Newcastle. If the Brazilian misses out, 20-year-old Aro Muric could face the Gunners.
Benjamin Mendy (knee) is on the comeback trail, but is unlikely to start against Arsenal.
Captain Vincent Kompany - whose future at the club is in doubt - is out, while Claudio Bravo (Achilles) is a long-term absentee.
Man City XI: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Laporte, Danilo, De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Silva, Sterling, Aguero, Sane
Arsenal team news and predicted line-up
Arsenal's defensive injury crisis continues with Hector Bellerin (ACL), Rob Holding (ACL) and Sokratis Papastathopolous (ankle) all out.
Laurent Koscielny is back in full training after sustaining a jaw injury against Manchester United, while Henrikh Mkhitaryan (metatarsal) and Ainsley Maitland-Niles (knee) are being assessed ahead of Sunday's game.
Danny Welbeck (ankle) remains a long-term absentee for the Gunners, while Emery is likely to once again drop Mesut Ozil given his concerns over the playmaker's tactical suitability for big games.
Arsenal XI: Leno, Lichtsteiner, Mustafi, Koscielny, Kolasinac, Torreira, Xhaka, Iwobi, Ramsey, Aubameyang, Lacazette
Score prediction: Man City 3-1 Arsenal
Guardiola will expect a response from his side following their shock loss on Tyneside, so expect City to come flying out of the traps.
The problem with that, however, is that City have regularly been scoring first before tailing off - and Arsenal could well take advantage of that if the champions' concentration wavers.
City's attack should be too strong for an injury-hit Arsenal defence, but the Gunners can certainly cause problems of their own at the Etihad.
Man City vs Arsenal tickets
To check ticket availability click here to head to Man City's website. Arsenal tickets are currently sold out.
Betting tips via Betfair | UK users only | Subject to change
Match odds
- Man City to win: 3/10
- Draw: 5/1
- Arsenal to win: 8/1
First goalscorer odds
- Sergio Aguero: 11/4
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: 7/1
- Raheem Sterling: 5/1
- Alexandre Lacazette: 10/1
Click here to find the latest match odds and place a bet.
TV channel and live stream, and online coverage
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports' Premier League and Main Event channels, and is available via Now TV with a day pass on offer for £7.99. Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match online via SkyGo and the SkyGo app.
But you can follow all the action with Standard Sport's LIVE blog.
Head to Head history (h2h)
Man City and Arsenal have met 43 times in the Premier League: the Gunners have won 23 times, City 10, with 10 draws.
City have won their last three League games against Arsenal, and beat the Gunners 2-0 at the Emirates earlier this season.
