Man City v Arsenal: How the FA Cup tie could unfold
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Man City v Arsenal betting odds, tips and preview
The Premier League’s top two sides meet in the FA Cup on Friday as Manchester City host Arsenal in a fourth-round tie at the Etihad Stadium.
We look at how the encounter could unfold and the latest Man City v Arsenal betting odds.
Who are the favourites?
Form points to Arsenal, who are five points clear at the top of the Premier League, but experience favours City. The Gunners have been outstanding this season, racing to 50 points in the opening half of their campaign and making an unexpected title charge they look increasingly likely to sustain.
Yet City, consistently outstanding and highly successful in recent years, are unlikely to give up their crown without a fight. They are yet to meet this season, making this clash particularly intriguing, but City are clear favourites at 8/11.
Arsenal’s league position suggests they could be good value as 7/2 underdogs, while 14/5 is on offer for a replay that both teams would presumably be keen to avoid during a busy fixture schedule.
Will both teams be at full tilt?
This is unclear. While this tie has all the ingredients of a classic and over 3.5 goals is 6/4, it remains to be seen how strongly managers Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta want to play it.
Both have other priorities with Guardiola setting his sights on the elusive Champions League and Arteta bidding to end the Gunners’ 19-year wait for a league title.
Guardiola has pursued the domestic cups with vigour in the past, regardless of the aims in other competitions, but City’s recent form has been patchy and it is uncertain which version of them will turn up. Arsenal’s intensity could depend on how many changes Arteta makes.
What could the result mean for the title race?
As the sides have not yet faced each other this season, and with their first Premier League meeting just a few weeks away, it will be intriguing to see how they measure up to each other.
Neither will want to overplay their hand but would undoubtedly relish the chance to land a psychological blow. Some of the individual battles – on the field and the touchline – could be fascinating, not least for how they could affect the plotting for future games.
How well do the managers know each others’ thinking?
After three years working together at City, old master Guardiola and his former assistant Arteta seem unlikely to surprise each other if they stick to their usual gameplans.
It will be interesting to see the line-ups and which players are deployed for certain roles, or if there is any tactical variance from the norm. Guardiola has won six of their seven meetings but Arteta prevailed in the 2020 FA Cup semi-finals and has a stronger team than previously.
With Mikel Arteta's @Arsenal coming up against Pep Guardiola's @ManCity in the #EmiratesFACup fourth round, who will come out on top…
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙰𝚙𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚎 or 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫? 👀 pic.twitter.com/usNdBUWxNb
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 23, 2023
What is the Man City v Arsenal team news?
City have a near fully-fit squad after defenders John Stones and Ruben Dias recently returned to action after injury lay-offs.
The only question mark is over England international Phil Foden, who was not involved at all against Wolves last weekend, with Guardiola saying he had a foot problem. Foden is actually a player in need of game time having been quiet since returning from the World Cup.
Arsenal have no fresh injury concerns but Gabriel Jesus, Reiss Nelson and Mohamed Elneny remain on the sidelines.
Where will the goals come from?
There are no prizes for guessing who leads the way in the Man City v Arsenal betting odds when it comes to first goalscorer.
Erling Haaland netted his fourth hat-trick of the season against Wolves last weekend and is just 2/1 to net the opener and is 3/5 to find the net at any time.
In the red corner, Eddie Nketiah has done a great job of replacing Jesus and has seven goals in as many games including two in the last round at Oxford and another brace against Manchester United on Sunday when he had three shots on target.
Nketiah to trouble the goalkeeper three times on Friday can be backed at 11/1, while Haaland and Nketiah both to score and the match to be drawn is 22/1.
View the latest FA Cup odds
All odds and markets correct at date of publication
