Manchester City and Arsenal are battling for the Premier League title and go head-to-head at the Etihad this afternoon.

Manchester City welcome Arsenal to the Etihad today in a huge game at the top of the Premier League table.

City begin the day six points adrift of the Gunners but with a game in hand on the leaders. Should Pep Guardiola’s side prevail and then win at Burnley on Wednesday night, they will be top of the Premier League table.

That will be a tough task against an Arsenal side who may have lost their last Premier League match against Bournemouth but have been difficult to beat this season. But beat them City did in the Carabao Cup final last month and the Blues will hope for a repeat this afternoon to pile the pressure on Mikel Arteta’s side down the stretch.

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Guardiola could do something he rarely does, and name an unchanged team for this one. City seem to have found their groove in recent weeks and with Ruben Dias a confirmed absentee, changes from the win at Chelsea last time out would be a surprise. Guardiola doesn’t often retain the same XI but familiarity feels right for this one.

Gianluigi Donnarumma will continue in goal, with James Trafford in line to play in the FA Cup semi-final against Championship side Southampton next weekend. Nico O’Reilly has been passed fit to feature despite coming off with an apparent hamstring issue at Stamford Bridge and he can continue at left back.

In the absence of Dias, Abdukodir Khusanov has impressed and can once again partner Marc Guehi with Matheus Nunes at right back.

Bernardo Silva confirmed he will be leaving City this summer and the skipper can start alongside Rodri in midfield with Rayan Cherki playing in the attacking role.

Antoine Semenyo has proved he has big-game goals in him since joining from Bournemouth in January, while Jeremy Doku always carries a threat. Erling Haaland might not be in the goalscoring form in the top flight that he would wish for but the Norwegian scored at the Emirates in the reverse fixture and will give Gabriel and William Saliba in the Arsenal backline a physical test.

City predicted XI: Donnarumma, Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O’Reilly; Rodri, Bernardo, Cherki; Semenyo, Doku, Haaland