Today is another significant day in the title deciding moments of the english premiership.Mancity who are title favorites will come up against Arsenal at the Emirates stadium.A clash of the titans.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said his side have no new injuries following their midweek draw with Swansea.
However, none of his absent players will be in contention this weekend, with Aaron Ramsey and Nacho Monreal likely to return to training next week.
Manchester City’s top scorer Sergio Aguero is expected to be out for another week with a hamstring injury. Read more
David Silva is fit after receiving treatment on his ankle following the win over Manchester United.
MATCH PREVIEW
A week on from Arsenal’s weak submission at Stamford Bridge, they face the other team to have hit them for six this season.
Arsene Wenger admits that this is the Gunners’ last chance to stay in the title race, but it’s just as much about restoring pride and regaining the trust of a growing number of fans who are taking to the airwaves and the internet to call time on his 17-and-a-half years in charge.
The backlash from last Saturday and Wednesday’s throwing away of a win against Swansea has been significant, with Wenger well aware and philosophical of the change in mood: “We live in a period where every game is a definite judgement forever, but life is movement and life is change”.
Said with a French lilt, it could be a Descartes quotation
Arsenal haven’t been beaten at home in the league since the opening day of the season, but if any team can end that Emirates run it’s Manchester City at the moment.
Since their mission became a double rather than a quadruple, City have won three out of three in the Premier League and made themselves title favourites again.
Their performance in the derby on Tuesday was superb and, I felt, somewhat unfairly overshadowed by the headlines about Manchester United’s inadequacies.
They are rock solid in defence – and, yes, that includes Martin Demichelis right now – whilst again scoring goals at somewhere near the rate they were from November to January. They beat Arsenal 6-3 in the middle of that free-scoring winter run.
City’s players look to have a real togetherness and focus on becoming champions again. With David Silva’s ghost-like genius, Yaya Toure an unstoppable force, Sergio Aguero soon to return from injury and those games in hand, it looks like theirs to lose.
Lose to Arsenal, and the picture changes once more.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Arsenal have only won two of their last nine Premier League matches with Manchester City.
There have been six red cards in the last seven league matches between these sides, with Manchester City receiving four and Arsenal two. Five of those have come in the last three meetings at the Emirates.
Arsenal
Arsenal are unbeaten in their 14 Premier League home games since the opening-day defeat against Aston Villa (W10, D4).
Arsene Wenger’s side have won just three of their last nine league games (W3, D3, L3).
Olivier Giroud has scored five goals in his last three games at the Emirates in all competitions.
The Gunners haven’t found the net in half of their last six Premier League matches.
Manchester City
Manchester City are unbeaten in their last nine Premier League away games (W7, D2).
They will be aiming to keep six consecutive clean sheets for the first time in their history in the top flight this weekend.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side have scored 11 goals from corners this season – a Premier League high – and they have also converted the highest percentage of shots into goals of any team in the league (20%).
Midfielder Yaya Toure has found the net 11 times in his last 14 league games.
Edin Dzeko could make his 100th league appearance for City on Saturday. He has scored six goals in his last seven league starts and 26 of his 40 league goals have come away from home (65%)
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