The wait is over, the Premier League is back after being suspended for three months due to the coronavirus pandemic, the headline fixture of the first night will see defending champions Manchester City welcome Arsenal at the Etihad stadium. Arsenal manager will be returning to Etihad for the first time since being appointed as Arsenal manager and he will have the chance to square up against his former boss in an apprentice against the master game.
Pep Guardiola has resigned to the fate of losing the league Liverpool, with champions League ticket insight, Manchester City will use the final nine games to cement their Champions League place for next season pending Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling on their European ban. Manchester City suffered a defeat against their city rivals Manchester united. Now, with the three months break, the defending champions will look to bounce back with a win. However, City’s failure to win the fixture will see them fast track Liverpool’s title celebration.
City’s Wednesday opponents Arsenal who will be playing their next Premier League matches and four matches across all competitions away from home will certainly feel they are in contention for Champions League place and a victory against City will lift them high as sixth from their current 8th Position and might get to nick a champions League place provided the string a run of consistent results together. However, Arsenal have not won four league games on the bounce since October 2018 and had only won four of their previous 23, this which might play out in their quest for Champions League football.
Team News
Manchester City will have German Star Leroy Sane who has last played for almost a year, the German winger is now ready to return having missed the entire 2019-20 campaign so far
Pep Guardiola will have a clean bill of health ahead of the season’s restart, with Kevin De Bruyne, Aymeric Laporte, and Sergio Aguero already-fit after shaking off knocks they were carrying prior to lockdown.
Man City Premier League form: DWLWWL
Man City form (all competitions): WWWWWL
Arsenal have no injury concerns, with Sead Kolasinac and Kieran Tierney back available and loanee Cedric Soares finally in contention to make his debut.
Calum Chambers remains sidelined, but Lucas Torreira is back on the training pitch and could feature having making improvements in his recovery from a fractured ankle.
The future club’s captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have been on headlines during the lockdown, the Gabonese could enhance his Golden Boot chances by scoring at the Etihad.
Arsenal Premier League form: DDDWWW
Arsenal form (all competitions): WWWLWW
Head To Head
Man City have dominated this fixture in recent years, winning each of their last six meetings across all competitions by an aggregate score of 17-2 – their best ever run against the Gunners.
The most recent meeting saw City cruise to a 3-0 victory at the Emirates in December, with all of the goals coming in the first half.
Arsenal have not won a league game against Man City since December 2015.
Manchester City Probable XI
Ederson; Walker, Otamendi, Laporte, Mendy; De Bruyne, Rodri, Gundogan; Mahrez, Aguero, Sterling
Arsenal City Probable XI
Leno; Bellerin, Mari, Luiz, Tierney; Ceballos, Xhaka; Pepe, Ozil, Aubameyang; Lacazette