We have a very exciting match across the pond this Sunday morning as Manchester City hosts Arsenal in some English Premier League action. Both teams are unbeaten in league play to start the competition, and through 4 matches, it is clear that these will be the Top 2 teams in England this year. Do the Gunners have what it takes to topple Manchester City and claim the EPL Title? Or will Manchester City continue to assert their dominance on Arsenal and the rest of the league?
Both teams are coming off a lackluster performance in their Champions League matches this week. Arsenal played Atalanta on the road, playing to a scoreless draw and earning 1 point. Manchester City also played an Italian club to a nil-nil draw, except their were hosting Inter Milan. I’m sure many, like myself, expected Manchester City to roll over Inter like they did in the UCL Final back in 2022. But, they struggled to score, much like Arsenal on the road, and now the two foes meet up today!
Like I said, Manchester City is 4-0-0 in EPL play so far this season, outscoring opponents 11-3 and 6-2 at home. The Gunners won two straight before drawing with Brighton 1-1 at home. They bounced back and beat Tottenham on the road a week ago, but now are task with their toughest matchup all season long. Let’s dive in and find our best bets!
Manchester City vs Arsenal: Top Dawgs Face Off
Arsenal takes on Manchester City on the road today
Matchup Information – Manchester City vs Inter Milan
- Venue & Location: Etihad Stadium (Manchester, England)
- Date: Wednesday, September 18th, 2024
- Kick Off: 3:00pm Eastern
- Broadcast: Paramount+
Betting Odds
Odds are courtesy of BetOnline, an industry leader in the sports betting world. Sign up today using code BNEWS and get a 50% deposit bonus up to $1,000 AND $10 Cash Instantly in your account.
Money Line
- Manchester City -128
- Draw +257
- Arsenal +415
Spread
- Manchester City -1 (+136)
- Arsenal +1 (-165)
Total
- Over 2.5 (+102)
- Under 2.5 (-122)
Who Will Respond Following Scoreless UCL Outing?
Can De Bruyne lead Manchester City to a victory over Arsenal?
Now, despite these two Premier League juggernauts going at each other today, they are both missing some key players. Manchester City with be without defender Nathan Aké who picked up an injury on international duty. Kevin De Bruyne is also doubtful, considering he was forced off at half-time against Inter Milan on Wednesday. For the Gunners, Martin Ødegaard will miss another match with an ankle injury, but Declan Rice has served his suspension and will return to the pitch for Arsenal.
Both teams have wild unbeaten league streaks going as well, as Arsenal is unbeaten in their last 10 EPL matches, while Manchester City is unbeaten in their last 27 matches, the longest streak of any team since 2020. Neither team will want to lose this heated matchup, and I expect both teams to give their all. However, these teams are very familiar with each other. They know all the secrets and tactics, making it more difficult to create scoring chances in my eyes.
Last March, these teams played to a scoreless draw at the Etihad in their EPL matchup. Earlier in the year at Arsenal, the Gunners successfully won, 1-0. Even though Manchester City hasn’t beaten Arsenal since April of 2023, the Gunners will put up plenty of a fight defensively. I see Arsenal playing mainy conservative, at least in the first half, trying to limit Manchester City’s chances on goal. If they can hold strong defensively, I think they have a shot at winning this game, but regardless, I don’t think anyone finds the back of the net.
Manchester City vs Arsenal Best Bets
Can Arsenal and Saliba pull off the win on the road?
Manchester City vs Arsenal: Draw 0-0 (+900)
Best Bet: Man City/Arsenal Under 2.5 (-122) BetOnline
Once again, I am asking you to ride the under with me in this game. If you’re a sicko who bets correct scores and doesn’t want to bet on the double goose egg, feel free to sprinkle on Arsenal 1-0 (+1200), or Manchester City 1-0 (+600), as I don’t see either team netting two goals in this matchup. I paid a little juice for this under, but I am extremely confident in the pick, so I made this a 1u play, instead of my standard 0.5u for soccer picks.
These teams have stayed under this number the last 3 matches they’ve played. Arsenal has not played a match with 3+ goals yet this season, staying under 2.5 in 5/5 contests. Manchester City has gone over in 3/5 matches they’ve played in, but Arsenal will be the toughest defense they’ve seen all season long.
While it doesn’t add much to the handicap, these teams probably have some very tired legs. This will be Arsenal’s 3rd match in just a week, mixed in with a ton of travel. Manchester City hasn’t had to deal with the travel, but this is also their 3rd match in 9 days time. Neither team had a good showing in the UCL this week, and may have even lost some bodies for today in the process. When you put two of the best in the league up against each other, I always side with defense showing out, especially when factoring in the loss of De Bruyne and Ødegaard, two midfielders who are very good at aiding the attack.
I know it’s not fun to bet on an under, but I promise it will be much more fun when the money hits your account!
Still Want More Soccer Content?
Here at Betting News, we offer Free Expert Picks for every major sports league. We also host daily streams on our Twitch Channel with our best bets, as well as sweat out games on Playback! Be sure to tune into everything we have going on at our Youtube, TikTok, and X pages as well.
- Expert Soccer Picks
- English Premier League Preview
- USMNT Hire Next Head Coach
Get FREE Picks and Props Weekly
Sign up for
THE WEEKENDER NEWSLETTER
