Man City vs Arsenal predicted XIs: Confirmed team news and probable lineups

The biggest game of the Premier League season so far is set to take place at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Champions Manchester City take on league leaders Arsenal in what could prove to be a pivotal clash in the race for the title.

The Gunners’ title hopes were effectively ended in this exact fixture last season and Mikel Arteta will be keen to
avoid the same fate this time around. However, getting a win at the Etihad is no easy feat and it promises to be an enthralling encounter when these two heavyweights face off on Easter Sunday.

Will Rodri come up trumps again?

Arsenal are the Premier League’s in-form side, putting together a run of eight consecutive league wins to move to the top of the table. But all that could count for nothing against Manchester City, arguably the best team in the world.

The Citizens have dominated this fixture over recent seasons too, winning their last 12 league meetings with the Gunners prior to a 1-0 defeat in the reverse fixture this term, with the north London side winless at the Etihad since 2015.

City have won eight of their nine home matches since taking the Club World Cup title in December and could dominate proceedings just as they did in their last game on their own patch when limiting Newcastle to just two shots as they dispatched the Magpies 2-0 in the FA Cup.

When Guardiola’s men are on form they are basically unstoppable and even without a spate of injured stars, they should still be too strong for the Gunners on Sunday.

Arsenal have won just four of their last nine away matches, losing to Porto and Fulham in that run, suggesting they could come unstuck against the champions and lose their footing in the title race.

Tetchy affairs tend to throw up unlikely scorers, with set pieces more valuable than ever in such ties, so taking a punt on Rodri to find the net could prove profitable.

The Spaniard has proven his worth as a man for the big occasion, most notably when netting the winner in the Champions League final last season. However, he has also netted against Bayern Munich and twice against both Chelsea and Arsenal in his relatively short City career.

His shot output has increased significantly of late, with the Spanish midfielder registering 32 in his last 15 club appearances, and he rates a solid bet at a big price to net one of what is likely to be one of the few goals at the Etihad in this huge clash.

Man City vs Arsenal team news

John Stones and Kyle Walker have been ruled out for Man City, who also have a few doubts.

Matheus Nunes, Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson and Manuel Akanji will all need further assessment before this huge clash, meaning Pep Guardiola could be left a bit short-handed for this monumental title tussle.

Arsenal arrive in better health, with Gabriel Martinelli expected to be back following a spell on the sidelines meaning their only doubts are surrounding Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Magalhaes, who both withdrew from international duty, although it is yet to be confirmed how serious those issues actually are.

Man City vs Arsenal predicted line-ups

Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ortega; Lewis, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol; Rodri, Kovacic; Foden, Alvarez, Grealish; Haaland.

Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Magalhaes, Kiwior; Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.