Arsenal take on the visitors Manchester City in the round 24 match of English Premier League. The match will be played on Sunday, February 2nd at Emirates Stadium (London).
Arsenal aim to stay England’s second-best team. Under Mikel Arteta, the Gunners have been Manchester City’s main challengers in the past two Premier League seasons. However, both in 2023 and 2024, they ultimately fell short. Last spring, the gap was only a couple of points, but the title still remained in Manchester. This season, they seemed to have a real shot at dethroning City, nearly beating the champions away despite playing with ten men. However, setbacks soon followed. They reached the League Cup semifinals but lost the first leg at home to Newcastle (0-2). Then, despite having a numerical advantage, they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United on penalties. In the Premier League, staying in second place has been no easy task either, with several slip-ups along the way. That said, their fighting spirit was evident in the win over Wolves, even after a controversial red card left them a man down. Arsenal’s defensive resilience and ability to grind out results in difficult situations could prove crucial in the title race.
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Manchester city raised eyebrows in the summer by making only minimal squad reinforcements—signing Savinho and reuniting with İlkay Gündoğan—while also making the surprising big-money sale of Julián Álvarez without an immediate replacement. In January, they finally moved to strengthen their squad, bringing in Omar Marmoush in attack while bolstering their defense with the signings of Husanov and Vítor Reis, though Kyle Walker was allowed to leave. These moves were necessary because, by their high standards, the reigning champions have been struggling. They exited the League Cup early, losing to an inconsistent Tottenham. The Champions League campaign also saw unexpected setbacks, with frustration peaking in this week’s 3-1 win over Club Brugge after falling behind in the first half. In the Premier League, City started strongly but then hit a disastrous slump—one win and just five points from nine games. Even after recovering somewhat, they squandered a two-goal lead against Brentford and had to come from behind against Chelsea after a mistake from newcomer Husanov. In the end, though, they secured the win. Despite their struggles, City’s ability to respond under pressure remains a key asset, and they often find ways to turn games around.
Arteta has now avoided defeat in four straight meetings against his former mentor. Arsenal won the 2023 Community Shield on penalties and took four points from City in last season’s Premier League encounters. Earlier this season, John Stones salvaged a 2-2 draw in stoppage time—despite Arsenal playing with ten men for much of the match. We believe that this time, the Gunners will manage to defeat the reigning champions at home.
Prediction for the match: Arsenal to win.