| Odds via 22bet | |
| Manchester City vs Arsenal | September 22, 16:30 GMT+1 |
| Manchester City odds | 1.78 |
| Arsenal odds | 4.44 |
| Draw | 3.72 |
| Over\Under | Total 2,5: 1.94/1.86 |
This has been a challenging week for Manchester City. First, they faced Inter in the Champions League, resulting in a 0-0 draw, and this weekend, the Cityzens will welcome Arsenal for an important Premier League clash.
In the match against Inter, Guardiola’s team turned the screw with relentless pressing, often pushing the Italian club back into their own half and disrupting their short passing game. City employed a unique pressing strategy with personalized orientations in a 4-4-2 formation that adapted to the opponents’ positioning.
Offensively, City deployed a 3-1-3-3 formation with only four players in their own half to thwart Inter’s counter-attacks. However, Inter’s swift counter-attacks posed significant challenges for Guardiola’s team. However, Marcus Thuram and his teammates failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities despite numerous chances.
The 3-1-3-3 formation allowed Manchester City to overwhelm the opponent’s midfield and create fast combinations. This tactical approach proved effective against Chelsea and West Ham earlier in the season and caused significant problems for opponents defending in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
However, Inter, who defended compactly in a 5-3-2 formation, confidently blocked the center in front of their penalty area and neutralized almost all of their opponents’ attempts to create combinations. As a result, City primarily created their best chances through flank attacks, quickly delivering the ball to the center of the penalty area, where İlkay Gündoğan stood out.
The German midfielder made his trademark hidden runs into the opponent’s penalty area and got close to scoring with a well-timed header late in the game.
Overall, Inter effectively resisted Manchester City’s attacks, and the hosts’ dangerous shots were mostly met with great resistance or restricted space.
Looking ahead to the match against Arsenal, Manchester City may face similar difficulties. The Gunners’s ability to defend compactly in central areas mirrors that of Inter, which could force City to focus once again on utilizing their flanks.
| Recent Form | DWWWW |
| Key Players to Watch | Erling Haaland, Savinho, İlkay Gündoğan |
| Team Strengths | Powerful attacking play |
| Team Weaknesses | Passive pressing |
| Key Injuries and suspensions | Nathan Ake (Thigh Injury), Oscar Bobb |
Arsenal faces the challenge of repeating their impressive achievement from last season when Arteta’s team managed to earn four points in two matches against Manchester City.
In both encounters, Arsenal adopted a pragmatic and cautious approach, focusing more on limiting City’s chances than attacking with high intensity.
In defense, they quickly retreated to their own half in a low block after losing the ball. The Gunners adopted a defensive style at the Etihad Stadium, spending most of the match in a 5-4-1 formation and hardly allowing any chances on their goal.
It’s likely that Arsenal will employ a similar strategy in the upcoming match against City, especially in light of the absence of Martin Ødegaard, Arsenal’s creative hub. Without him, applying constant high pressing or orchestrating attacking moves down the right flank will be challenging. The match against Atalanta proved it.
The return of Declan Rice after suspension will surely help the Gunners play even more securely in defense than they did in the victorious match against Tottenham.
| Recent Form | WDWWW |
| Key Players to Watch | Bukayo Saka, Willam Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães |
| Team Strengths | Positional attacks, pressing |
| Team Weaknesses | Ødegaard injury |
| Key injuries and suspensions. | Mikel Merino (Shoulder Injury), Martin Odegaard (Ankle/Foot Injury, Takehiro Tomiyasu (Knee Injury), Oleksandr Zinchenko (Calf/Shin/Heel Injury) |
Arsenal’s win over Manchester City in the Premier League last season marked a significant achievement, as it was their first league victory against City since 2015. Prior to that, City had won 14 out of 15 matches between the two teams in the EPL.
When factoring in other competitions like the FA Cup, EFL Cup, and Community Shield, Manchester City has secured 16 victories since 2015, while Arsenal have managed just three wins during that span.
This makes Arsenal’s recent run, where they took four points from City in the Premier League last season, all the more impressive.
One of Arsenal’s main achievements last season in matches against Manchester City was neutralizing Erling Haaland. The partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães in the center of defense was a key factor that allowed Arsenal to successfully contain City’s attack.
Their performance will once again be pivotal, as they will be tasked with keeping Haaland and City’s potent attack in check. Both defenders are capable of demonstrating excellent pressing resistance, which is crucial in a match against Manchester City.
For Manchester City, the wide forwards will be crucial players regardless of the lineup. Manchester City has some of the strongest wide attackers in world football, who can create serious problems for Arsenal through dribbling, dangerous passes, and shots on goal.
Manchester City will likely adopt a 3-1-3-3 formation to gain numerical superiority in midfield, a tactic that has served them well throughout the season. The wide forwards will provide attacking width and try to stretch the opposition’s defense.
Arsenal, on the other hand, could sit deep in a 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 defensive structure, aiming to catch the opponent on quick counterattacks through the flanks. If City takes the risk of playing in a 3-1-3-3 formation with four players in rest-defense, Arsenal could have excellent opportunities for rapid counterattacks.
In the last season at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City played three draws against top opponents such as Arsenal, Liverpool, and Real Madrid. This season, there was a draw in the match against Inter.
Furthermore, since Pep Guardiola became the head coach, Manchester City has not lost a single big match at their home ground against top opponents.
Therefore, it’s hard to see them losing this clash, especially since they have already reached optimal physical conditions and are ready to demonstrate their best game.
In the previous season, it seems that Mikel Arteta found the optimal game formula that best neutralizes Manchester City’s strengths.
Arsenal will likely do everything possible to maintain a low match tempo and defend in an organized manner without taking unnecessary risks. Therefore, it’s probable that there will be few goals in this match.
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