EPL Odds: Man City Visit Slumping Arsenal

Arsenal (+220) vs Manchester City (+140), Draw (+264)

Both sides will have a lot to play for next weekend (Sunday, April 2) when Arsenal (15-5-7, 50 points) host Manchester City (17-6-5, 57 points) in a battle of English Premier League powers.

The Gunners have been tirelessly mocked for their fourth-place finishes for years, but right now, fourth place would actually be a pretty good outcome. They’re currently in sixth place, six points below back of their traditional location. Granted, they’ve played fewer games than most of the other top six teams due to the FA Cup schedule, but still, it’s a woeful place for them to be.

They’re coming off a humiliating loss to eighth-place West Brom (3-1 away), and have lost four of their last five league games. They only have two wins over the last month, and those have been against non-league teams Sutton United and Lincoln City.

Arsenal will be playing at home, but that might actually prove to be a disadvantage. The Arsenal stands are in disarray at the moment. Fights are breaking out between the “WengerOut” supporters (those that want manager Wenger sacked, as the name suggests) and the pro-Wenger fans.

During their game against West Brom, the fans took to the sky to voice their opinions. The WengerOut faction hired a plane to fly a banner that read: “No contract. #WengerOut”. The pro-Wenger fans responded with a plane of their own, with a banner that read: “In Arsene we Trust”.

Ridiculous, I know.

It’s not just Wenger being targeted. Almost every player, barring Alexis Sanchez, has come under fire from supporters for their poor performances this season. Morale is visibly very low on the pitch and, at times, it feels like they are just playing out the season.

Manchester City are not having the best season by any measure, but it’s hardly been a failure either. They’re currently in third place and undefeated in their last seven league games. Chelsea may have a comfortable lead over the rest of the league, but City still have an outside shot at the title and a good chance to claim a Champions League berth. In their last league game, they drew 1-1 against a strong Liverpool side.

The Citizens are not without their problems. Defensively, they’re a mess. And manager Pep Guardiola still hasn’t settled on a stable starting line-up. But their problems don’t compare to Arsenal’s. It looks like some pretty drastic changes (yes, #WengerOut) are required for the Gunners. Until then, their chances of winning big games (and even some small ones) are pretty slim.

Pick: Manchester City (+140)