Man City Host Arsenal in Premier League ‘Title Decider’

Manchester City will today host Premier League leaders, Arsenal, at the Etihad Stadium in a match followers of the round leather game are of the opinion that the outcome will go a long way in deciding where the title tilts. While the Citizens would be boosted by their 3-0 away win against Chelsea last weekend, the Gunners’ UEFA Champions League semi-final qualification mid-week would serve as a big morale booster to take to the Etihad. The encounter which has been tagged the ‘match of the season’ has all attribute of a title decider

Already proudly showing off the EFL Cup and just 180 minutes away from reclaiming their FA Cup crown, the Citizens have capitalised on Arsenal’s recent blips to move to within six points of the Premier League leaders, still boasting that precious game in hand too.

Manchester City’s first-half display against Chelsea was nothing to write home about, but penalty-box predator, Nico O’Reilly sparked a second-half surge with his sixth goal in all competitions since the start of February; no Man City player boasts more strikes than the Englishman over that period.

The hosts’ comprehensive 3-0 victory at Stamford Bridge marked their third straight triumph without conceding in all competitions – during which time they have plundered nine goals of their own – and the April-specific statistics make for highly pleasant reading too.

Indeed, Man City boast a better win rate (79.5%) and points-per-game ratio (2.51) in April than any other month in which they have played at least 10 Premier League games – conversely, the less said about Arsenal’s Easter exploits, the better.

While Pep Guardiola’s men turn up the heat in the fourth month of the year, Arteta’s Arsenal boast a paltry 42.3% win rate and 1.54 points per game in the Premier League in April since the Spaniard took over – unsurprisingly their worst month from a statistical point of view.

The Gunners’ springtime hoodoo was well and truly alive against Bournemouth penultimate Saturday lunchtime, triggering a smattering of boos from the home crowd at the full-time whistle.

Progression to the Champions League semi-finals for the second time in two seasons – a club first – restored a marginal sense of pride in midweek, but a 0-0 borefest against Sporting Lisbon in the second leg of their quarter-final did little to reignite red and white confidence.

Just one win from five in all tournaments paints a grim picture for an evidently exhausted Arsenal side, who have committed an unsightly 15 errors leading to a shot in Premier League games since January 1 – between August and December, they only gave away eight.

However, it is not all doom and gloom for the league leaders, who have strung together a praiseworthy five-match unbeaten sequence against Man City in the top flight, after suffering a harrowing 12 straight defeats.

The Gunners faithful should not have been mad at an uninspiring goalless stalemate in midweek, and in a game that Man City must win and Arsenal must not lose, visiting fans would happily sit through something similar today.