Man City vs Arsenal, Premier League restart preview: Kick-off time, team news, TV channel, h2h, prediction, odds
Manchester City vs Arsenal will be one of the first games back for the Premier League season.
Following the latest shareholders' meeting and Project Restart discussions, the return of top-flight action cleared the last hurdle and will be headlined by the game at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, June 17 after Aston Villa host Sheffield United.
There will be plenty of changes to what Premier League fans have come to know and expect from the beautiful game, with the stands set to be almost completely empty barring officials as fans are kept away and five substitutes allowed from nine players on the bench.
But Mikel Arteta - who contracted Covid-19 himself back in March - will be prepared to lock horns with his former boss Pep Guardiola as City and the Gunners get ready to kick-start the season.
Date, time and venue
Manchester City vs Arsenal is scheduled for 8.15pm BST kick-off on Wednesday, June 17, 2020.
Aston Villa vs Sheffield United will be up first in the restart double-header, kicking off at 6pm BST. Both matches will be shown on Sky Sports.
Etihad Stadium will host the behind-closed-doors match, with no fans due to be present due to government guidelines regarding coronavirus.
Team news
'Like a new signing' is a well-worn phrase, but Leroy Sane's return will be a boost for Guardiola.
While Sane could end up joining Bayern Munich this summer, he will want to finish the season on a high after a lengthy absence.
Arsenal have just two injury concerns, though both Calum Chambers (knee) and Lucas Torreira (ankle) are back training on grass. Cedric Soares, on loan, could make his debut.
Prediction: Man City 2-1 Arsenal
Arsenal will be heartened by recent results from the Bundesliga, which suggest that home advantage could be a thing of the past if there are no fans to get behind the hosts.
However, despite City's failure to reel in Liverpool this season, a big gap remains between them and the Gunners. Arsenal sit 17 points off City for a reason, and it's difficult to look beyond a home win.
One key factor Arsenal could bank on, though, is Arteta's deep knowledge of City's players and tactics. With three weeks to prepare to face his mentor Guardiola, Arteta will have a better chance than most of securing a shock result.
How to watch
TV channel: The match will be shown live on Sky Sports' Premier League and Main Event channels, and is available via Now TV with a day pass for £9.99.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match online via SkyGo and the SkyGo app, with a mobile month pass available for £5.99.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
Arsenal dominate this fixture historically with 96 wins to City's 56, and 45 draws shared.
However, City have won the last six meetings in all competitions.
City beat Arsenal 3-0 in north London in December, and their last five League meetings have seen City collect maximum points, scoring 14 goals to Arsenal's two.
Betting odds and tips
Spurs to win: 2/1
Man Utd to win: 6/4
Draw: 5/2
Under 2/5 goals: Evens
1-1 draw: 13/2
Odds courtesy of Betfair Exchange. Click here to find out more.
The state of play
James Robson, Manchester correspondent
With one trophy in the bag, Guardiola can still end an otherwise disappointing season with a treble of cups. The Premier League title may be heading to Anfield, but the one Manchester City want most of all - Champions League - is still within reach.
That will be the main focus for Guardiola’s team even as attention turns to the Premier League this week. There will be even more pressure on City’s players to finally conquer Europe if the Court of Arbitration for Sport uphold Uefa’s two-year ban for serious breaches of Financial Fair Play. A verdict is due next month - before European competition resumes in August.
Lockdown came at a point when United produced their best form of an otherwise desperate season. And with top four, the FA Cup and Europa League still to play for, Solskjaer’s first full campaign has the potential to end on a hugely positive note. Conversely, failure to win a trophy or qualify for the Champions League will raise fresh questions about his suitability to do the job particularly with a certain Mauricio Pochettino still on the market.
Simon Collings, Arsenal correspondent
It was Mikel Arteta’s positive test for Covid-19 in March that led to the Premier League suspending all fixtures. Since then, Arsenal have had a busy lockdown, with nearly all first-team players, head coach and core staff agreeing a 12.5 per cent pay cut.
The deal will reduce to 7.5 per cent if the team reach the Europa League and to zero if they secure Champions League football. Prior to lockdown, they were unbeaten in the Premier League this calendar year and were showing signs of promise under Arteta.
Their first game back, at Manchester City on Wednesday, will set the tone for their run-in. Playing City, as well as Tottenham away from home in an empty stadium, could be an advantage. The FA Cup is a target, too.
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