Manchester City take on Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday in the Premier League, in what is quite simply a colossal football match.
Arsenal sit top of the table on 64 points at the moment, just one ahead of both Liverpool and City.
The Gunners are seeking to succeed where they failed last season, and stave off the challenge of City at the business end of the season. But there is potentially even more pressure this time with Liverpool in the mix.
Pep Guardiola has a few injury concerns ahead of this game
Both Kyle Walker and John Stones limped out of England games over the international break, and may not be able to feature.
It should be a fascinating contest – and pundit Chris Sutton has made his prediction ahead of the clash…
Chris Sutton drops ‘cagey’ verdict as he predicts Manchester City v Arsenal clash
City have been superb so far in 2024 and are still unbeaten.
Despite some unconvincing performances, City have actually won 20 of their past 22 games across all competitions, so the momentum is certainly there.
The injuries have the potential to hurt City this weekend though, and Pep Guardiola may be able to shed more light on a few players when he speaks to the media.
Despite City not firing on all cyllinders recently and having those injury concerns, Chris Sutton believes Pep’s side are going to edge Sunday’s huge game.
Going for a 1-0 home win, he told BBC Sport: “I can see this game being as cagey as when these two sides met at the Emirates in October and Arsenal grabbed a late winner.
“I don’t think there will be a lot of goals this time, either. Again, it is going to be decided by what happens in the big moments rather than one side dominating play, but that just makes it harder to call.
“When I think about City’s form I am not exactly convinced by some of their recent performances because they have not been as free-flowing as they usually are.
“But, at times like this, I judge City on how they have delivered in the past, especially at the Etihad. That’s why I am still going to back Pep Guardiola’s side, even though they have not quite been at the level they reached last season. Whatever happens here, though, the title race is not over for anyone.”
A Man City win would be a huge statement
Sunday’s game is simply huge, and hopefully City can get the job done against the Gunners.
They’ve been brilliant this season, and are very capable of beating the Citizens on Sunday.
But City will be out for revenge after Arsenal won the reverse fixture, and it looks as though Kevin De Bruyne will be fit to play which is a major boost.
Losing Stones and Walker would be a big blow if they don’t recover from their injuries. But City still have enough quality to get the job done, and send a message to both Arsenal and Liverpool.
