The top two in the Premier League meet in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Friday night, as Manchester City host Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium.
Boasting a game in hand, the Gunners lead Pep Guardiola’s side by five points in the top-flight table – with Newcastle United and Manchester United 11 points off the pace.
Arsenal have won more FA Cup titles than any other club (14), triumphing most recently in 2020. As for City, they have claimed six titles and last lifted the trophy in 2019.
The Cityzens made light work of Chelsea to book their place in the fourth round, thrashing Graham Potter’s side 4-0 earlier this month.
However, Man City were knocked out of the Carabao Cup three days later – suffering a shock 2-0 defeat to Southampton in the quarter-finals.
Guardiola’s men have only lost three of their 20 Premier League games this season, scoring more goals than any other side in the division (53).
Having crushed Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-0 last time out – thanks to another Erling Haaland hat-trick – City will be confident of reaching the fifth round of the FA Cup.
Arsenal also claimed an impressive victory last time out, coming from 2-1 down to beat Manchester United 3-2 and tighten their grip on the title race.
The Gunners have played six games since the World Cup break, securing five wins and one draw – including a 3-0 victory over Oxford United in the previous round of the cup.
Remarkably, Mikel Arteta’s side have suffered a solitary defeat in 19 Premier League outings this term – picking up 16 wins and two draws in the process.
There is no denying that Arteta’s main goal is to win the Premier League, but the Arsenal manager would surely love to lift the FA Cup again.
Head-to-head: Man City have won each of their last five meetings with Arsenal in all competitions, scoring 13 goals and keeping three clean sheets along the way.
Although the Gunners knocked out Guardiola’s tem en route to winning the FA Cup in 2020, City’s recent record in this fixture is difficult to ignore.
Team news: Man City have no fresh injury concerns, meaning Guardiola is likely to select a full-strength starting XI for Friday’s clash.
As for Arsenal, they will be without the injured trio of Gabriel Jesus, Reiss Nelson and Mohamed Elneny for the trip to the Etihad.
Granted, Arsenal lead Man City by five points in the Premier League table. But the hosts have more than enough quality to defeat the league leaders.
Forebet predicts that both teams will score on Friday. However, Man City are expected to outscore Arsenal and book their place in the fifth round.
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