Mikel Arteta, Erling Haaland, Bukayo Saka, and Pep Guardiola (Photos by Mike Hewitt, Carl Recine, Justin Setterfield, Kate McShane/Getty Images)
This is the big one – it’s Manchester City against Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium this Sunday in what looks to be a winner-takes-all race for the Premier League title this season.
The Gunners go top of the game, although they have a narrow lead over Man City, and Pep Guardiola’s side also have a game in hand on their rivals.
Bukayo Saka will miss out, Martin Odegaard’s fitness has yet to be confirmed, while Erling Haaland’s form will be an important detail to watch.
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They met in the Carabao Cup final a few weeks ago but this game feels even bigger, as it is almost certainly the final of the Premier League title itself, and could also give Arsenal a chance to qualify for the Champions League.
Read on as we identify six key things to watch out for in Sunday’s high-profile contest…
Arsenal may have drawn, but was it enough?
While there is some pressure on Arsenal going into this game as they chase a first title in 22 years, it is important to remember that City really need to win or their title hopes will be over.
If so, we may see Arsenal play a draw, as it may make them rely more on their strong defensive record, especially when they have many key attacking players such as Bukayo Saka, and Martin Odegaard, injured in the game.
And yet, it feels like the one thing Arsenal lack in their latest title challenge is that winning away from home statement. They have drawn their last two visits to the Etihad, which is an improvement from when they lost 4-1 in 2022/2023, but more desire in that 0-0 draw late next season would have seen the title go to north London instead of Manchester.
? “If someone gave you a painting today, would you take it?”
Mikel Arteta’s response…? pic.twitter.com/VpHgnwTFgD
– CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) April 17, 2026
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It’s important not to let emotions get the better of Arsenal, though, and Mikel Arteta will surely know that a point keeps City a fair distance behind, with the title within their grasp.
How will the Carabao Cup final affect the mentality of the game?
We know the two met recently in another big game, and that time it was City who came out on top, lifting the Carabao Cup after a 2-0 win over Arsenal at Wembley.
In many ways, the best test for the Arsenal players, who are left watching City lift the cup and celebrate in front of them – can you answer? Can you learn from the mistakes of that day? Or will that defeat only hinder your performance?
City are the most experienced in terms of getting over the line and winning major trophies, so one would think that will boost their confidence in the game. Wins often beget more wins, even if this wasn’t an old City side this season, so is it possible to get complacent?
| League statistics for 2025/26 | Arsenal | Manchester City |
| It wins | 21 | 19 |
| Drawings | 7 | 7 |
| Loss | 4 | 5 |
| Terms of | 62 | 63 |
| Goals against | 24 | 28 |
| Goal difference | +38 | +35 |
What can you make of Arsenal’s biggest game record?
Until the defeats against Liverpool and Manchester United this season, Arsenal had been on a long unbeaten run against the so-called ‘big six’ teams in the league.
Arteta usually knows how to get more out of his players in these important games, but what is clear is that City, especially away from home, have been an exception to that rule.
Arsenal have drawn their last two games at the Etihad, and were just moments away from winning with ten men last season, but it’s no doubt a tough place for them, with the north Londoners having failed to win there since way back in 2015.
Given that Arsenal aren’t in great form at the moment, while City have started, this is probably not a game they would pick if they could, but it’s also true that they don’t have to be perfect – a draw for the third season in a row wouldn’t be a bad result by any means.
How will the injury affect things?
Another concern for Arsenal is the number of injuries they have received as Bukayo Saka has been confirmed as absent from the game, while it is not yet clear whether Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori will return. Even if they do, they are unlikely to be at a high level of fitness.
City in particular have a clean bill of health, however, with Pep Guardiola confirming that Nico O’Reilly will return, although Ruben Dias is still out and that is a big loss, while Josko Gvardiol remains out for a long time.
Arsenal’s issue is that their main injury is attacking, which has become a major area of weakness in their current squad. Noni Madueke isn’t exactly a replacement for the fit and in-form Saka, and while the return of Eberechi Eze is a big improvement, no one else offers the same ability to dictate a game as Odegaard does.
Eze missed the Carabao Cup final, so he could provide a bit of a spark in Arsenal’s final third, but for the most part this current situation only adds to the north Londoners’ need to set up their defence.
Can Erling Haaland return to form?
“I don’t know if there is a conflict…”? pic.twitter.com/2Ka6XYxJuT
– Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 17, 2026
Surprisingly, it goes unnoticed, but Erling Haaland has not been in good form for a while now.
The Norwegian has a good record against the Gunners, scoring at home and away last season, as well as against them at the Emirates earlier this campaign.
In total, Haaland has 33 goals in 45 games this season, but in his last 13 league games he has just three goals, two of which came from the penalty area.
Of course, it would be unwise to ignore the fact that he recently scored a hat-trick in their FA Cup win against Liverpool. It is possible that we will soon see him return to his best form, although at the moment he does not look like he will have much fun against William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
Can Arsenal answer the bottle tag?
We’ve all seen it now, and so have the Arsenal players.
We’re talking, of course, about this viral clip from last weekend when City won 3-0 against Chelsea just a day after Arsenal lost 2-1 at home to Bournemouth.
– Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 12, 2026
This kind of thing should fire Arsenal up to prove their critics wrong. This is a club that has been mocked and ridiculed for far too long. They may never get a better chance to finally change people’s opinions.
How do you see this game going, and who do you ultimately expect to go on to win the league? Let us know your thoughts and predictions in the comments!
