The holiday season is always a time for tricky fixtures and a crowded schedule in the Barclays Premier League. You can bet there won't be a lot of holiday cheer in the air when Arsenal plays against Manchester City in a match which will be for top of the table in the BPL heading into Christmas week.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Arsenal +150
Manchester City +170
Draw +220
Over/Under 2.5 (over -125)
ODDS ANALYSIS
With these two teams separated by just a point on the Barclays Premier League table, it shouldn't be all that surprising that there isn't a lot separating these two teams from a betting perspective either. Arsenal is the favorite of the oddsmakers merely due to the fact that it is at home in this one, though Man City's +170 price tells you that it is perceived to be the better of these two teams.
There's a ton of offensive talent on the field for both of these sides, though, and that's why this total is somewhat high at 2.5 and -125 vig on the over.
KEY INJURIES
Manuel Pellegrini hopes to get back Pablo Zabaleta in this match from his knee injury which was originally expected to cost him two weeks. This would have him returning in a week and a half just a few days ahead of schedule. Zabaleta is a difference-maker for sure, just as Vincent Kompany is, another man who could be back from extensive injuries on Monday. Samir Nasri though, won't be back until the new year in all likelihood.
Arsene Wenger, who is only a year removed from being on a really hot seat himself, deserves a ton of credit for keeping the Gunners in fine form in spite of the fact that he has a huge injury list to work with. Mikel Arteta, Santiago Cazorla, Francis Coquelin, Tomas Rosicky, Alexis Sanchez, Danny Welbeck and Jack Wilshere are all sidelined, most of which have been for quite a while. However, this has given Wenger a chance to try out some different combinations, and seemingly everything he's choosing is coming up aces right now.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"It will be one of the closest. We have not finished the Premier League. We have just finished the first half. But for the moment, I think it will be one of the closest." – Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini on why this is such an important six-point swing of a fixture
RECENT FORM
Soccer provides huge swings from match to match and week to week. Arsenal learned just that over the course of nine days. In that span, the team knocked off Sunderland in the Premier League 3-1, beat Olympiakos on Greek soil 3-0 when it needed to win by at least two to reach the knockout rounds of the Champions League then put on a clinical performance in a 2-0 away win at Aston Villa.
Every now and against, Manchester City has a mind-boggling result against it. The team was beaten 2-0 at Stoke City on December 5. Take that match away though, and you've got a nice run of four results for the Citizens, who have beaten Swansea, Borussia Monchengladbach, Hull City and Southampton, though it should be noted that all four of those matches were played at home.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
City hasn't been in fine form on the road, but we think it is going to get the job done here at the Emirates. Pellegrini has himself a goal-scoring machine with Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling, Wilfried Bony and others seemingly find a way to contribute every single week.
Arsenal is only marginal thus far at the Emirates in the BPL, going 4-2-1 in its seven matches, and we think this is setting up to be its second defeat in front of its home fans.
Manchester City 3, Arsenal 1
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