Paul Erewuba, with agency report.
A make-or-break week for Manchester City’s title defence begins with Arsenal before they travel to Everton on Wednesday and then Chelsea.
Following Tuesday’s defeat by Newcastle Pep Guardiola’s side require a run of victories while hoping that Liverpool slip up.
Against Unai Emery’s side it will be tough, Arsenal having moved up to fourth.
No doubt, Manchester City will be put to the test as they host Arsenal today.
The contest between the two sides, indeed, will be very different compared to their first encounter earlier this season.
Arsenal are now a different side. Following their previous encounter in August, the Gunners are finding their way under their new manager.
Having recently defeated Chelsea and Cardiff City, the Gunners have slowly crept into the top four spot.
An away victory today would surely derail City’s title hopes whilst aiding Arsenal toward a spot in the UEFA Champions League next season.
The two teams have what it takes to cruise through and harness the three points, but Manchester are having a little problem with some players, Manchester City’s long term absentee Claudio Bravo remains injured and will not feature in this match. Vincent Kompany and Benjamin Mendy, who have minor knocks, are in doubt.
Arsenal have also been hit by a series of injuries. Danny Welbeck, Héctor Bellerin, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Laurent Koscielny, Rob Holding and Sokratis Papastathopoulos could all be absent for this match.
This February will define Manchester City’s season. Over the span of 28 days, City will play seven matches in four competitions, equating to a game every four days. Fatigue seems to have caught up with the Blues, and should they slip up against Arsenal, it is likely Liverpool will win the 2018/19 EPL title.
Keen EPL observers are of the opinion that Arsenal will give this match their all as they seek to gain ground in the EPL’s top four.
A victory would bring them one step closer to UEFA Champions League football next season, and having been eliminated from the EFL “Carabao” Cup and FA Cup, the Gunners will divert their energy toward this goal.
With these stakes in mind, both sides will look to win this match, but ultimately neither side will prevail.