There is one midweek fixture in the English Premier League and it takes place at the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City host Arsenal. This is a rearranged fixture from earlier in the season and it will be interesting to see how both teams approach the game.
Manchester City are currently in 2nd place in the Premier League but will not be able to catch Liverpool. Arsenal are in 9th place and will be clinging on to hopes they can qualify for Europe next season.
Manchester City come into the game having suffered a 2-0 defeat Manchester United in the derby on Sunday afternoon. It was a disappointing display by Pep Guardiola’s team who conceded a goal in the first half and struggled to breakdown the opposition. Ederson was at fault for both goals.
That result was their first defeat in 6 matches having won each of the previous 5 games in all competitions. The victories came at home against West Ham United in the Premier League, Away against Leicester City in the Premier League, over Aston Villa in the League Cup final, at Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup and at Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Trends show Manchester City are undefeated in their last 5 home games in the Premier League. In addition to the victory over West Ham United there have been wins against Leicester City, Sheffield United and Everton. The only dropped points came in a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace.
Both teams have scored in 5 of their last 8 home Premier League matches.
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Arsenal picked up all 3 points at home against West Ham United in the Premier League on Saturday but it was not a great performance. They could easily have lost the game and will need to improve if they are to get something from this match. That result means Arsenal have won each of their last 2 games with the previous victory coming at Portsmouth in the FA Cup.
The Gunners have lost only one of their last 13 games in all competitions but it was a costly defeat. They lost 2-1 at home against Olympiakos in the Europa League which saw them eliminated from the tournament. However, Arsenal have won each of their last 3 games in the Premier League and are undefeated in their last 7 away Premier League matches, drawing each of their last 5 on the road.
Team news and Manchester City are without central defender Aymeric Laporte who has a hamstring injury. There are also doubts over the fitness of Leroy Sane, Kevin de Bruyne and Sergio Aguero.
Although the title is out of reach, Manchester City cannot afford to take their foot off the gas, especially ahead of their Champions League meeting with Real Madrid. Expect to see a better performance from them in this game and they should take maximum points, scoring a couple of goals in the process.