It’s been a long three months, but the Premier League will finally return on Wednesday and Manchester City take on Arsenal first up.
City are 12 points clear in second place and have no chance of catching Liverpool in first so don’t have much to play for on the face of it, but with the Champions League still to come Pep Guardiola will no doubt want his side to get back to their best and won’t be taking it easy.
The Blues boss has a fully fit squad to choose from for the first time this season, with Leroy Sane and Aymeric Laporte both available again.
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Schalke. Over 1.5
ENGLAND: Premier League
Manchester City vs Arsenal Over 2.5
SPAIN: LaLiga
Osasuna – Atl. Madrid Over 1.5
SLOVENIA:Prva liga
Rudar vs Domzale Over 2.5
Ljubljana vs Bravo Over 2.5Total Odds: 6.51
City won the reverse fixture at the Emirates 3-0 and pundits are predicting another win for the Blues on Wednesday night.
“City’s last game was a derby defeat at Old Trafford. When they did not really turn up. That performance is long gone now, though – I am sure most of their players cannot remember last week, let alone their last game.
“Neither they nor Arsenal are going to have changed too much since we last saw them – you just know City will have trained loads with the ball and they will play good, attacking, football.
“I don’t think Arsenal will have found a steely resolve in midfield or defence, because they have just not got it. I would expect City to win because, regardless of the fact they are playing in an empty stadium, they have got better players than Arsenal.
“City’s potential European ban is hanging over them a little bit – the decision on their appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport is due in July. But even if their suspension is upheld, I cannot see Arsenal making fifth spot and qualifying for the Champions League that way.
“Yes, they won three league games in a row before the season was stopped but they were playing teams you would expect them to beat – West Ham, Everton and Newcastle. It was not a sign that anything had changed with the Gunners. It might feel like a new season, but they are the same old Arsenal.”
“When you come to play Man City, the hard part is when you get the ball. You seem to be in a rush, your touch is clumsy and decision-making is rash. Keeping the ball is the hard thing. When you don’t have it, you are chasing and it drains you.
“City will have a lot of the ball – I think Arsenal will sit and play one up front. As much as Arteta loves playing a 4-3-3, he will have to protect the weakness at the back.
“The areas where Pep’s side will be overpowering will be in midfield and the wide areas. Whether Leroy Sane stays next year or not we do not know, but he will busting to get a start and get back playing. You then have the likes of Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling, Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus – the choices are remarkable.
“If Arsenal were to go with an attacking line-up, if it was a front three, it would become an isolated Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or Eddie Nketiah. They will not get the service or chances.
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Schalke. Over 1.5
ENGLAND: Premier League
Manchester City vs Arsenal Over 2.5
SPAIN: LaLiga
Osasuna – Atl. Madrid Over 1.5
SLOVENIA:Prva liga
Rudar vs Domzale Over 2.5
Ljubljana vs Bravo Over 2.5Total Odds: 6.51
