Man City v Arsenal Tip

The bookies have taken one look at City’s awesome home record over the past season or so and decided that Arsenal will be nothing more than their latest victims. But two main thing come to mind. Firstly, that record is unsustainably good, and secondly, they aren’t the same force they were this time last year.

That may seem like a strange thing to say about the reigning champions, but just think how differently the Citizens would be viewed if Sergio Aguero hadn’t popped up with his injury time miracle last May. The epitaph of chokers would have been set in stone and Roberto Mancini might have been out of a job. The margins in football are fine.

City have hardly got into third gear this season either. Draws with Stoke and Liverpool were unconvincing, the victory over Southampton much the same. The agonising defeat in the Bernabeu during midweek, while commmendable, will also have been draining.

Arsenal, on the other hand, are going from strength to strength. The new boys, Cazorla and Podolski, are looking like dream purchases and the Gunners remain unbeaten. They look like a bargain at best odds of 11/10 (WilliamHill) to either win or draw in the double chance market on Sunday.