We have an Arsenal v Man City prediction from Bacary Sagna for you ahead of a midweek Premier League clash with massive title implications.
After an incredible season so far Arsenal found themselves clear at the top of the table. However, a recent dip in form sees Man City back within touching distance and a win at the Emirates this Wednesday will put them ahead of Arsenal for top spot in the table.
In anticipation of this top two Premier League matchup we got the chance to chat with one of the best full backs of the last 20 years in the Premier League, who has played for both Arsenal and Man City. We are of course talking about Bacary Sagna.
Check out Sagna's prediction for the Arsenal v Man City game below along with his thoughts on the Premier League title race.
Arsenal v Man City Prediction
Q. Arsenal face Manchester City at the Emirates Wednesday. What are you predicting?
I see Arsenal bouncing back from the FA Cup game, they'll put pressure on Manchester City and will want to extend their point gap. The fans will support the team from the start all the way to the end because they know the importance of the game.
There's more pressure on Arsenal than Manchester City because they are top of the league.
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Manchester City will try to keep the possession of the ball, but Arsenal have the speed and quality to give them pressure. Both coaches will know how each one wants to play, tactically it will be very interesting.
Prediction: I think it will be 2-2, which suits Arsenal.
Q. Will this game be anything like the 1-0 win to Man City in the FA Cup? Man City were able to play out the game very well towards the end.
You could see that Arsenal did not want to lose the FA Cup game with the late reaction from the players and the substitutes from Mikel Arteta.
The league game at the Etihad will be hard, so Arsenal need to step up to win the game at the Emirates.
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Will Arsenal Win The Premier League?
Q. Gary Neville is convinced that Arsenal can easily crumble in the last few games towards the end of the season because they don’t have the experience of winning titles, do you agree?
I want to believe there's enough experience and chemistry in the Arsenal squad to win the Premier League title.
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It's the first time in a while that Arsenal have a good team bonding and connection with the coach. The atmosphere at the stadium has been amazing from the start and I expect it to continue to the end. I don't think Arsenal will crumble like Gary Neville said.
Arsenal can deal with the pressure, I remember when they played Manchester City last year and were the better team, but they lost. This time they will need to focus from the beginning to the end. Manchester City can be world-class on their day and can win any game, so I'd never count them out.
Q. What does the title race look like if Arsenal or Manchester City win? Who’s your money on?
I still think Arsenal will win the Premier League because Manchester City are the team to beat. Any player who plays against Manchester City wants to show how good they are by beating them, it's almost like a cup final every game.
Teams are more scared about Arsenal this season too, Manchester City can be beaten on the counterattack. The way teams play Manchester City, they sit back and expect them to be beaten.
Q. Will the Ivan Toney goal that should have been disallowed have an impact on the title race?
I hope the Ivan Toney goal against Arsenal will not have an impact on the title race, this is the final straw because it's an unfair goal.
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I still can't understand how Lee Mason did not see that offside after looking at the replay more than 10 times it seems! I don't understand how you can't see the offside, even my 11-year-old son could see it was offside. I hope it does not have an impact at the end of the season.
I don't think there is a conspiracy against Arsenal, but it is very unfortunate and frustrating because Arsenal would have probably gained two more points against Brentford and every point is valuable. But we can't change the past, the team needs to focus on the future now.
How Good Is Martin Odegaard?
Q. On current form, could Martin Odegaard reach the levels of the midfielders you played with, like David Silva, Frank Lampard and Kevin De Bruyne?
Martin Odegaard is already playing at the same level as David Silva, Frank Lampard and Kevin De Bruyne did and are now.
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He can play for any big team in the world, he's been Arsenal's most consistent player. Odegaard reminds me of Kevin De Bruyne the most because they have the freedom to go forward and drop back to collect the ball, because their delivery is class, they find space and create chances for their teammates.
Sagna Tells Us Just How Good Santi Cazorla Was
Q. Who was the best player you played with at Arsenal and Manchester City?
Santi Cazorla was the best player I played with at Arsenal, he never lost the ball.
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Cazorla always managed to make passes look easy and had amazing vision on the pitch. He also had a fantastic touch on both.
And at Manchester City, Kevin De Bruyne was the best player I played with, he always made the right decision on the pitch. De Bruyne never has any extra touches and is one of the best passers, there's a reason why he's been at the top for a very long time.
What Is Wrong With Man City?
Q. Manchester City are coming off a loss to Tottenham and then a win against Aston Villa. Why do you think things aren’t quite clicking at the moment?
Manchester City have so much confidence in the way they play but they got caught against Tottenham.
They also get caught on the break when they have possession of the ball, it's clear as to why they're losing games and they need to be better defensively.
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Liverpool are another big team that have not been up to their usual standard this season. In a recent post we explored the question of whether Jurgen Klopp should be given the chance to rebuild at Anfield.
Ruben Dias And Jack Grealish Crucial To Man City's Title Chances
Q. Is Ruben Dias crucial to their season and the Arsenal game?
Ruben Dias is one of the best defenders in the league and is a beast physically, Manchester City have missed him.
Dias is a natural leader and will have an impact on the Arsenal game, he's one of the best defenders in Europe at such a young age too.
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Dias has the same type of profile as Vincent Kompany, with his leadership and his physicality. If I was a striker, I would not like to have him behind me because he's quite scary. Dias reminds me of Nemanja Vidic, he's never scared of using his feet or head in challenges and you can always count on him to perform well every time.
Q. Has Jack Grealish been their best player lately?
Jack Grealish has been different from last year, I think he expected too much last season because he thought he would score lots of goals and get lots of assists from the quality Manchester City players.
Now he's realised he has to work hard and not everything will come his way easily.
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