Manchester City and Arsenal face off in the biggest Premier League game of the year – and even eSPORTY’s best pundits are clashing in their predictions.
The two title rivals will contest a season-defining showdown at the Etihad, which will likely settle who will lift the trophy next month.
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Arsenal’s quest to win a first Premier League title since 2004 took a blow following a shock 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth last weekend.
The Gunners bounced back by qualifying for the Champions League semi-finals, but their lackadaisical style of play drew ire from critics.
City’s win over Chelsea, meanwhile, moved Pep Guardiola‘s men to within six points of Mikel Arteta’s table-toppers, with a game in hand.
That means that an Arsenal defeat at the Etihad would open the door for City to extinguish the gap by also beating Crystal Palace.
Coming into matchday 33, this is the latest into a season that City are facing the league leaders since April 2012.
Then, they beat Manchester United 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium on MD36 en route to winning their first-ever Premier League title.
However, even the stats can’t suggest which way this weekend will fall, just weeks after City beat Arsenal 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final.
Man City are unbeaten in their last ten Premier League home games against the Gunners (W7 D3) since a 2-0 loss in January 2015.
But Arteta’s side are unbeaten in their last five top-flight games against Guardiola, having lost 12 in a row against them before this.
So with nothing between the two teams, eSPORTY set the best that radio has to offer to try and settle who will claim the bragging rights.
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Dietmar Hammann – Man City win 3-1
“I’m not sure if Arsenal played an awful lot different at the start of the season,” ex-City midfielder Hamann told eSPORTY Breakfast.
“They might have played a little bit better football when [Martin] Odegaard and [Bukayo] Saka was there. It’s just an effective and efficient team.
“They don’t concede many goals. If you don’t concede many goals, then you have got a very good chance to win games.
“I’ve got to say, I favour City because since they got knocked out against [Real] Madrid, I think they’ve been absolutely brilliant. I think going to Stamford Bridge and winning 3-0 was really a statement.
“I’ve got to say, I fancy City, which would mean they’ve got it in their own hands after the game on Sunday.
“With Arsenal, I think it was a professional performance yesterday. What impressed me, because Sporting is a good team going forward; in the second half, they never really looked like scoring. But I think City will beat them on Sunday.”
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Ally McCoist – 1-1 draw
The Rangers icon was firmly trying to sit on the fence when asked by Arsenal fan Joel Beya whether he sees the Gunners winning.
“No, but I don’t see you getting beat,” Super Ally told Breakfast.
“I’m talking one each or something like that. That’s what I genuinely think.
“I think Arsenal have got to make the game dirty.
“When I say dirty, I don’t mean… they’ve got to make it aggressive. A horrible game.”
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Joel Beya – Arsenal 2-1 win
Arsenal fan and podcaster Beya is understandably backing his team to get their first Premier League win at the Etihad in 11 years.
Agreeing with McCoist’s subsequent claim that the Gunners could sneak a result, he replied: “Yeah, I think there’s a 2-1 there.
“In these kinds of games, how many times have you seen [Leandro] Trossard score?
“How many times have you seen Kai Havertz pop up?”
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Gabby Agbonlahor – 1-1 draw
Agbonlahor, no stranger to rattling Arsenal fans’ cages, joked that he sees City winning 4-1 as they did in the 2023 title clash at the Etihad.
Yet the Aston Villa cult hero then added: “1-1. I think a draw. I don’t think Arsenal get beat.
“Proper defensive display from Arsenal. [Cristhian] Mosquera right-back. [Piero] Hincapie left-back.”
“I don’t think it’s done, no [if it’s a draw]. Because of the Bournemouth game, anything can happen.
“The Premier League is a tough league. I think Man City still drop points as well. I do think Arsenal win the Premier League.”
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Alan Brazil – City win… Arsenal lift the title!
Big Al made a surprising title prediction when asked whether Arsenal may get rid of Arteta if he ends up trophyless this season.
“You just don’t know,” Brazil told Breakfast on Wednesday. “You don’t know. Honestly, it depends on who’s about.
“Look at the squad they’ve got. Fantastic. What a chance this year. If they blow it…I think they’ll win the Premier League.
“Even if they lose to City, I still think they’ll win it, but I think they’ll crawl over the line.”
Brazil added: “I think City can beat them. I do. But look at the remaining fixtures. Arsenal could win them all. They could.
“If their confidence is not dented too much, I think they could win everyone. And that’s enough [to win the Premier League title].”
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Lauren – Arsenal win
Arsenal Invincible Lauren has told eSPORTY that all the pressure is on Manchester City and not the Gunners this weekend.
“What I believe is that we have to stick with our principles,” he said on Breakfast.
“We know that it’s not going to be an easy game to play against Man City because they’re doing well.
“However, I believe that you have to go with the conviction and with the belief that we can win this game. Come on, lads.
“I mean, I won’t stand saying that, OK, we know that we lost the cup, we lost against Southampton, we lost against Bournemouth.
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“However, all those noises that Man City are coming, Man City are coming, Man City are coming. And what? We are on top of the league.
“We are six points clear. So we have to go over there and think that we can win this game because the big pressure is on them.
“We are top of the league with six points clear. So if we win our games, we become champions.
“They are the ones that they have the big pressure because they have to win all the games and wait for Arsenal to lose.”
Lauren added: “I believe in this squad, and I believe that the boys are going to make it and we are going to win the league.”
Ian Rush – Man City win 3-1
Liverpool’s all-time record goalscorer will have one eye on a crunch game for his old club in the Merseyside derby this Sunday.
“I’m going 2-1 Liverpool [against Everton], and I’ll go 3-1 Man City,” Rush told eSPORTY’s Ally McCoist on Friday.
