THE English Premier League will make it's long-awaited return this midweek and the standout fixture comes from the Etihad on Wednesday night as Man City meet Arsenal.
It will be master against apprentice as Pep Guardiola (below) locks horns with former assistant manager Mikel Arteta for the first time since the Spaniard swapped the Etihad for the Emirates.
Man City and Arsenal have enjoyed slightly contrasting seasons to date, with the former lying second in the Premier League, while the latter are languishing in mid-table where they find themselves eight points adrift of the final Champions League berth.
City, after meekly surrendering their Premier League crown to runaway leaders Liverpool, look determined to take all of the remaining trophies that are available to them, however, the Citizens could face a stern test from an Arsenal team who have avoided defeat in the Premier League under Arteta's stewardship.
The former Arsenal and Everton midfielder has brought a sense of optimism back to north London and the Gunners will be aiming to continue their upward progression against star-studded city on Wednesday night.
Indeed, the capital club have improved under their new manager, however, a trip to the Etihad will represent an acid test for a team who have been reinvigorated since Arteta took the reins last December.
Outright Betting
Man City are big favourites at 4/11 with UniBet to make it seven wins on the spin against Arsenal across all competitions.
Arsenal have taken a point from their last five Premier League road trips and a repeat here is on offer at 19/4 with Bet 365, while an away win is a whopping 17/2 with the same bookmaker.
Betting Angles
Before the enforced break I banked plenty of profit off the back of Man City's shaky defence and I suspect that Arsenal could have the tools to trouble the Blue Moon backline during this bout.
There is little value in backing Arsenal to make the bulge at 8/15 with Bet 365, however, adding one or more Arsenal cards and at least one Arsenal corner will boost the price up to a much-more enticing 4/5 with Bet 365.
The Gunners have got on the scoresheet in all but one the 11 games that Arteta has overseen and I fancy them to strike here against a City side who have conceded at least one goal in 19 of their 29 league games this term.
What's more, Arsenal games have featured an average of 12.3 corners per game this term – the highest in the division – and the capital club are the most ill-disciplined side in the league when it comes to clocking up yellow cards.
However, the Londoners have also been leaking goals this season, registering just seven clean sheets in 28 top-flight tussles to date and that does not bode well ahead of a showdown with the deadliest attack in the division.
Given the array of attacking talent that will be on display, an open and entertaining encounter is envisaged at the Etihad but sadly the bookmakers agree with both teams to score trading at a 8/13 while over 2.5 match strikes is a general 4/11.
Combining the two above-mentioned bets could be worth considering at 5/6 with Bet 365 , however, better value could lie in the card markets given that card-happy Anthony Taylor will take charge of match-up involving two of the most attack-minded sides in the Premier League.
Arsenal have racked up more cards than any other team this season and City's expansive style can often leave them exposed, which in turn can lead to them committing cynical fouls – something that is feasible on Wednesday night given the amount of flair and pace that Arsenal possess in forward areas.
With that in mind, as well as the fact that Anthony Taylor has the whistle, the 27/20 (Bet 365) that is available for each team to collect 20+ booking points takes appeal.
This English Premier League match between Man City and Arsenal will be played on and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Man City vs Arsenal prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
Man City vs Arsenal Betting Tips & Predictions
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