Manchester City and Arsenal end the Premier League action this weekend before a two-week international break, in what will be a much-anticipated clash at the Etihad Stadium.
The game sees two teams with contrasting fortunes of late meet, with the home outfit looking unplayable currently and the visitors wreaking of vulnerability.
City have powered their way to the top of the Premier League table with nine wins from ten games, while Champions League group stage is already assured after an impressive 4-2 victory over Napoli on Wednesday night.
With Pep Guardiola’s men still undefeated and in blistering form in the final third, Arsenal face a big task to contain a side with an intimidating amount of attacking talent.
As such, City are overwhelming favourites to claim victory here, with odds of 4/9 for those visiting Swedish online casinos.
The Gunners are in something of a transition period, with Arsene Wenger struggling to emulate the highs he brought to the Gunners in the early days of his North London tenure.
Defeats to Stoke City, Watford and Liverpool this term have shown his side’s frailties, with a perceived lack of mental fortitude coined as the main reason the club are not fighting for major honours.
For the first time in Wenger’s reign at the club, Arsenal are not in the Champions League this season and will have to get used to the Thursday-Sunday routine of competing in the Europa League instead.
While progression through the first stage is guaranteed after a 0-0 home draw with Red Star Belgrade on Thursday night, the scoreline is not one that fills the home support with much confidence – especially when North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur are beating the likes of Real Madrid in the same week.
Much will depend on Alexis Sanchez if Arsenal are to do anything of note this season.
Sunday’s fixture has an interesting sub-plot as the Chilean continues to be linked with a move to City, with his Gunners contract expiring next summer.
However, if Sanchez can show his best form and inspire his side to victory this weekend, it would reiterate his undoubted class – the bookmakers have him at odds of 28/11 to score at any time.
One notable result in this fixtures in recent years was Arsenal beating City in Manchester 2-0 back in 2015.
Premier League title success ultimately evaded the North London outfit and it can be argued that things have been getting progressively worse for the Gunners since.
In a telling indication of how the balance of power has shifted, an unexpected repeat of this 2-0 scoreline in Arsenal’s favour pays 50/1 with some bookmakers.
Both sides will hope for a positive result heading into the international break but City are overwhelming favourites to maintain their enviable start to the 2017-18 campaign.
