ARSENAL have made some big strides since Mikel Arteta took over but face the acid test of their revival in this FA Cup semi-final with in-form Manchester City.
The Gunners have lost just once in their last seven games and claimed their greatest win under Arteta in midweek when they beat new Premier League champions Liverpool 2-1, with our man Slip Tips cashing in again.
Jurgen Klopp's men gifted Arsenal both goals but that was down to the high pressing of Arteta's forwards and they will probably use the same tactic against a City side who also play out from the back.
Arteta stood down as Pep Guardiola's assistant to take the Gunners job so he will know all of City's strengths and weaknesses. But his own defence still looks suspect and will struggle to cope if the Cup holders hit top form.
Inconsistency ruined Manchester City's title bid and they have lost to Chelsea and Southampton since the Premier League came out of lockdown.
But they have been almost faultless in knockout competitions and are odds-on with all the bookies to add the FA Cup to their League Cup triumph this season.
How the bookies view it
Despite that victory over Liverpool in midweek, the bookies don't fancy Arsenal to win this one. The Gunners are 5/1 to qualify with most firms and the odds increase to 8/1 at William Hill for a victory inside 90 minutes.
City offer no value to qualify at a best 1/7 with BetVictor but the odds increase to 33/10 with 888Sport to finish the job inside 90 minutes. The draw is 5/1 with Betfair if you fancy this to go to extra-time.
Recent head to head
City have dominated Arsenal in the last few seasons, winning the last seven games by a margin of at least two goals. But the Gunners can take some heart from the fact their last win over the Etihad side came in an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, a 2-1 triumph in 2017 (below).
Guardiola's side eased to 3-0 victories in both league matches earlier this season, the second of those triumphs coming in their first game back after the coronavirus lockdown.
Players to watch
Kevin De Bruyne loves the big occasion and will be fresh for Manchester City after being rested for the midweek win over Bournemouth. The Belgian is 21/10 with Sportingbet for anytime scorer and Skybet price him at 15/2 to net from outside the box.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was also rested in midweek, coming off the bench against Liverpool, and has the talent to punish any sloppiness at the back from City.
Arsenal's top scorer is 12/5 with Betway for anytime scorer and that's pretty good value for a man with his scoring record.
Anything else catch the eye?
Both teams to score is 5/6 with SportNation and that could come up if Arsenal get some joy with their high pressing. City also looked pretty suspect at the back in their midweek win against Bournemouth, shipping a late goal to scupper my bet of a win to nil.
I also tipped Guardiola's side to score over 1.5 goals in the first half against the Cherries and that came up for the fourth time in five games for City. A repeat here pays 15/8 at Betway.
Kieran Tierney has added a bit of steel to Arsenal down the left flank and his battle with either Raheem Sterling or Riyad Mahrez will be good to watch. The former Celtic star was booked when he last faced City and is a tempting 5/1 with William Hill for another card here.
This FA Cup match between Arsenal and Manchester City will be played on Jul 18, 2020 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Arsenal vs Manchester City prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
