All eyes will be on the Etihad Stadium on Sunday as Premier League title rivals Manchester City and Arsenal go head-to-head in the biggest match to date of the 2024/25 campaign.
City held off the Gunners by two points last season and are top again as they go in search of a fifth consecutive Premier League crown.
- UNDER 2.5 GOALS
- MAN CITY TO WIN 1-0
- KEVIN DE BRUYNE FIRST GOALSCORER
Tight Tussle Expected
The biggest matches don't always live up to the hype and backing a low-scoring outcome looks to be the best bet when Manchester City lock horns with Arsenal.
Arsenal were successfully able to nullify City last season, winning 1-0 in north London and holding the men from Manchester to a 0-0 stalemate at the Etihad, and taking under 2.5 goals is a value punt.
There were only six shots on target across those two head-to-head battles and Arsenal's matches are particularly lacking in entertainment this season.
Mikel Arteta's side have played five times, scoring six and conceding once, with every game going under 2.5 goals.
Goalkeeper David Raya, last season's Premier League Golden Glove winner, has kept clean sheets in all three of his road matches and produced an astonishing double save away to Atalanta as the Gunners started their Champions League campaign with a 0-0 draw.
Raya is well protected by a back four led by central defenders Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, while for all of City's reputation for being a gung-ho side their biggest games last season failed to live up to the hype.
City had two 1-1 draws with Liverpool as well as their close encounters with Arsenal, while Inter Milan were able to escape Manchester with a share of the spoils following a 0-0 bore draw in Wednesday's Champions League opener.
UNDER 2.5 GOALS
Odegaard Absence Tips Balance
That stalemate was the first time Erling Haaland had been kept quiet this term with the Norwegian already on a tally of nine Premier League goals after just four top-flight fixtures this season.
Haaland, Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne and any other number of City's attacking talents will need to be patient, but one moment of magic could decide the match and taking the hosts to triumph 1-0 might be a nice bet.
Arsenal, for all of their defensive organisation and outstanding work off the ball, have looked a little lightweight in attack. a situation not helped by the absence due to injury of skipper Martin Odegaard.
The midfield playmaker usually makes the Gunners tick and without him they managed only six shots at Atalanta.
They had just seven in last week's 1-0 win at Tottenham and forced nine attempts even with Odegaard in the side for the recent victory at Aston Villa.
MAN CITY TO WIN 1-0
Bet On Man City v Arsenal
De Bruyne Can Strike First
Arsenal are likely to sit back and aim to soak up the pressure, focusing most of their attention on Haaland, which might create space for someone else to be City's match-winning hero.
Guardiola said in Friday's press conference that he was hopeful De Bruyne would be fit after coming off against Inter with a minor problem and he is worth backing to be the first goalscorer.
The Belgian still had three shots in his 45-minute cameo against Inter and 14 attempts in four Premier League outings suggest De Bruyne could take advantage if the Gunners defend deep to counter the threat of Haaland.
KEVIN DE BRUYNE FIRST GOALSCORER
