Arsenal will play host to Manchester City in the English Premier League. This will be the first meeting between the team currently leading the league table and the team that is right on their tail. A win for Arsenal will take them six points clear in the league table with one game in hand. If Manchester City takes three points from this match, then they will be level on points with the Gunners. The most anticipated match of the 2022–2023 season will take place at the Emirates Stadium in midweek. We now look at some of the stats of these teams that could predict the outcome of the match.
The Gunners are at the top of the table with 16 wins, three draws, and two losses. They have scored 46 goals in 21 matches and conceded 18. Mikel Arteta’s men average 1.9 xG and 0.9 xGA. Arsenal are winless in their last two matches. They played a 1-1 draw in their last match against Brentford.
Manchester City are second with 15 wins, three draws, and four losses. Pep’s men are the leading goal scorers in the league with 56 to their name. The defence has leaked 22 goals and averages one goal per game. Their xG rate is the highest, with an average of 2.29 xG per match. The xGA rate is 0.87 per match.
The above pizza chart shows the percentile rank of both teams in comparison to each other and the other teams in the league. By looking at the above visual, we can observe that Manchester City have an edge over Arsenal. Pep’s men are ranked higher than their opponents due to their more dominant display on the field. They are behind in the league table and will need to play their best football in this match.
When it comes to passing the ball on the field, Manchester City have the upper hand. Pep’s men average 65.33% ball possession, and Arteta’s side averages 61.68% possession per match. Both teams like to keep the ball and are very accurate with their passes. Arsenal will have to work hard to take the ball from their opponents.
Both of these teams like to pressurise their opponents by playing a high press. Manchester City have the highest efficiency in pressing, and Arsenal are a little bit behind them. This will be a high-intensity match between these two top teams.
Arsenal struggling to find the back of the net
Arsenal have managed to get results against big teams in their run for the English Premier League title. The Gunners average two goals per match this season. They create 35 positional attacks and 1.57 counterattacks per match on average. Overall, the team takes 14.7 shots on average with a 37.5% accuracy rate. However, things have not gone in their favour in the last two matches. Arsenal have scored only one goal and collected just one point.
The home team has been unable to score goals frequently in the last two matches. Arsenal created 41 positional attacks against Everton and 48 against Brentford. Mikel Arteta’s men attempted 35 shots in these two matches with a 28.57% accuracy rate. The number of attacks has gone up, but the accuracy rate has decreased. The xG map shows that only one shot was attempted from inside and from the edge of the six-yard box. This is the reason why they have just collected one point in these two games. The manager will demand improvements in the attack.
Manchester City’s aerial and counterattacking threat
Manchester City likes to stay at the top when the whistle blows. They average 35.23 positional attacks and 2.05 counterattacks this season. Pep’s men take 15.6 shots per match and hit the target 37% of the time. One of the areas where the Citizens have been a threat is at the counter.
Manchester City have the highest efficiency on counterattacks this season. Their high pressing and efficiency allow them to take the ball and run at the opposition’s defence. Arsenal will have to stop Manchester City from creating these attacks.
Another key feature in Manchester City’s attack is delivering crosses and heading the ball inside the opposition’s net. They average 21 crosses with a 34.4% accuracy rate. The above viz shows that Manchester City players enjoy high success rates from the right side. Most of the successful crosses have been delivered on the edge of the six-yard box. These crosses often find a teammate inside the penalty box. Manchester City have a 59% win rate in aerial duels. This is the highest win percentage in the league this season. Pep’s men will look to dominate Arsenal, who wins less than 50% of their aerial duels.
Key Players
Bukayo Saka has been on Manchester City’s radar as per reports in the recent past. The Englishman has shown a bit of form since returning from the World Cup. He has scored three goals in seven matches and has also provided two assists. The 21-year-old has a huge responsibility on his shoulders in one of the most anticipated matches of the season.
Riyad Mahrez is enjoying his football lately. Since his return to action post-World Cup, the Algerian has produced eight goal contributions in eight matches. These include four goals and four assists. Mahrez averages around 1.83 shots per match and has a 40% accuracy rate. He will look to take his team over the line in this match.
Team News
New signing Leandro Trossard is eyeing his first start for Arsenal in the English Premier League. He scored a goal against Brentford and might be considered a starting candidate.
John Stones is out for the whole month after suffering a hamstring injury. Erling Haaland only played 45 minutes in the last match after suffering a knock. There are no new injury concerns in Manchester City’s camp.
Betting Analysis
As per the 1×2 betting odds, Manchester City are the favourites to win this match. They have an odds rate of around 2.45. Arsenal, on the other hand, have a win rate of around 2.9. Both teams are facing each other for the first time this season in the English Premier League. Arsenal have already lost a match in the FA Cup against the same opponents a few weeks earlier, and they are also without a win in the last two matches. This is the reason why Manchester City have better-winning odds in this match.
Manchester City have a bit of an upper hand over the league leaders. They usually tend to find form in the second half of the season. However, Arsenal won’t allow them to take three points easily. The Gunners are leading the pack and have produced some magical performances this season. The home crowd will be right behind their players and hope that they get three points in this match.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
