Overview
Arsenal was once mentioned with the ambition to win four, but meanwhile, Manchester City secretly aimed for a surprising domestic treble, while increasing pressure on the team that is showing signs of being out of breath by Mikel Arteta.
After winning the Carabao Cup and only two matches away from the FA Cup championship, Man City has taken advantage of Arsenal's declining form to narrow the gap to 6 points, and still has one match to play.
Man City's performance in the first half against Chelsea was not too outstanding, but the turning point came in the second half when Nico O'Reilly scored. This is his sixth goal in all competitions since the beginning of February - the best achievement in the Man City squad in the same period.
The 3-0 victory right at Stamford Bridge helped Pep Guardiola's team extend their 3-game winning streak without conceding a goal, scoring a total of 9 goals.
Statistics also show that April is the time when Man City reached their peak form, with a win rate of 79.5% and an average of 2.51 points/match - superior to any other period in the Premier League.
In the opposite direction, Arsenal often declines at the same time. Under Arteta, the "Gunners" only achieved a win rate of 42.3% and an average of 1.54 points/match in April - the lowest number according to season statistics.
That form continued to show in the 1-2 defeat against Bournemouth, when Eli Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott scored, interspersed with a goal from the penalty spot by Viktor Gyokeres.
Despite winning a ticket to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, the 0-0 draw against Sporting Lisbon in the second leg of the quarter-finals did not bring many positive signs for Arsenal's attack.
Winning only 1 in the last 5 matches shows clear signs of fatigue. More worryingly, Arsenal has made up to 15 mistakes leading to shots in the Premier League since the beginning of the year, compared to only 8 mistakes in the period from August to December.
However, Arsenal still has a foothold from head-to-head history when they are unbeaten in 5 consecutive matches against Man City, after a series of 12 defeats before that.
In the context that Man City is forced to win while Arsenal is not allowed to lose, a draw at the Etihad may still be an acceptable option for Arteta's team.
Personnel situation
Nico O'Reilly had to leave Stamford Bridge earlier than expected in last weekend's match due to hamstring problems. However, Pep Guardiola affirmed that this versatile defender is completely healthy and ready for the upcoming top match.
That is a rare good news for Man City, in the context that the defense is still missing many key players such as Ruben Dias (hamstring), Josko Gvardiol (leg injury) and John Stones (calf). However, the Etihad home team is likely to still maintain the same squad that once defeated Chelsea.
On the other side, Mikel Arteta has given not very positive information about the force. Bukayo Saka is definitely absent in the away match to Etihad, which makes Arsenal fans worried.
Meanwhile, Noni Madueke only has a minor knee problem and may recover in time, making young talent Max Dowman's ability to play unnecessary.
Expected lineup:
Man City: Donnarumma, Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O'Reilly, Rodri, Silva, Semenyo, Cherki, Doku, Haaland.
Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Rice, Madueke, Eze, Trossard, Gyokeres.
The match between Man City and Arsenal takes place at 10:30 p.m. on April 19 (Vietnam time).
