The great battle between Man City and Arsenal lit up the Premier League pitch this week
Defending champion Man City takes on top of the table Arsenal in round 30, which is considered the most important match in the rest of the Premier League this season.
At the same time last season, Arsenal also held the top spot in the Premier League after 30 rounds. But the 1-4 defeat at Etihad Stadium in round 33 left Mikel Arteta and his team out of breath and had to finish second behind Man City in the championship race. The situation of the "Gunners" this season is not much different, as they must have a good result at Man City's field at all costs to keep their hopes of winning the championship alive.
The difference compared to last season is the maturity and steadfastness of the Arsenal team, who are in high form with 33 goals in the last eight winning matches. Arteta's teachers and students are no longer afraid of Man City, having won 1-0 in the first leg, as well as in the Community Shield match earlier this season. However, Man City is currently very different from the first half of the season.
The defending champion plays better and better, unbeaten in the last 22 matches. If only counted at home, they have not lost 38 consecutive matches in all competitions. Along with their head-to-head record of winning 12 of the last 13 matches against Arsenal in the Premier League, Man City is assessed by Opta as having a 53% chance of winning three points next Sunday.
In terms of strength, both teams suffered losses after the national team's series of matches in midweek. Coach Pep Guardiola confirmed that two English players Kyle Walker and John Stones are definitely absent due to injury, while Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish and Manuel Akanji are not in their best condition. On the Arsenal side, the three pillars Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes have not yet trained with the whole team. The possibility of this trio's participation remains open.
Arteta was Guardiola's assistant in the period 2016-2019, before turning Arsenal into Man City's counterpart in the championship race in the last two seasons. This season, they also have to compete with Jurgen Klopp - who can compete with Liverpool in round 30. Klopp and his team will welcome Brighton at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 31, Hanoi time, two hours. half before the great war between Man City and Arsenal.
