The English Premier League returns this week!
Hours after Aston Villa lock horns with Sheffield United at Villa Park on Wednesday, June 17, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City will square off against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium in what is going to be a bittersweet homecoming for the latter.
As per the new guidelines discussed during the latest shareholders' meeting for Premier League’s Project Restart, the temporary change will allow teams to make as many as five substitutions until the end of the 2019/20 season, and thus, it will be interesting to see how both Manchester City and Arsenal take to the field.
Why was Man City vs Arsenal postponed?
Manchester City vs Arsenal was initially scheduled on March 11 but was postponed indefinitely due to the global pandemic. The Gunners’ manager, Mikel Arteta, was, in fact, tested positive for the disease which has put the world to a stop.
In an official statement, Manchester City said,
“The decision to postpone tonight's game (March 11) has been taken as a precautionary measure on medical advice after it emerged that personnel from Arsenal FC have come into contact with the Olympiacos owner, Evangelos Marinakis, who has been tested positive.”
Manchester City vs Arsenal: TV times, fixtures and how to watch Premier League Matchday 29 live in India
In the latest list of fixtures, Premier League confirmed that Manchester City vs Arsenal will be one of the first games to be played since the lockdown. Arsenal will visit the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, June 17 (June 18 as per Indian time). As per the directives, all the league games will be played behind closed doors.
Head to head record: Arsenal 96 vs Man City 56
If history is anything to go by, Arsenal do come into the game as favourites, having registered 96 wins to City's 56 in a head to head encounter, while the remaining 45 have been drawn.
City's blistering form in recent years, however, has seen them winning the last six meetings in all competitions.
Their last meeting, in fact, ended in a 3-0 win for City in north London in December. City have been utterly dominant against Arsenal as they have scored 14 goals in their last five league encounters against the Gunners, who have scored just two.
Manchester City latest news and injury updates
Good things await for the home side, Manchester City, as winger Leroy Sane is available for selection following his season-long lay-off due to a knee ligament injury. Like many other teams across the league, City resumed contact training with a few XI vs XI games, but the likes of Claudio Bravo, Joao Cancelo, John Stones or Ilkay Gundogan were not involved, raising suspicions whether they will be involved in the game or not.
Arsenal latest news and injury updates
⚡️ @HectorBellerin pic.twitter.com/8iEuERcBRe
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) June 14, 2020
For Arsenal, midfielder Lucas Torreira, who was set to miss the rest of the Premier League season due to a fractured ankle, began training at London Colney. Defenders Hector Bellerin, Rob Holding and Kieran Tierney have all worked during the break, and the latter is deemed fully fit for the game.
The Gunners sit ninth on the Premier League table, and although they are facing a strong Manchester City unit, keeper Bernd Leno says the circumstances favour his team.
“We can surprise City because nobody has the rhythm. I’m sure we can have a good start,” he said. “Mikel (Arteta) knows every player and he knows the manager better than anyone.”
Where can I watch the Premier League match live?
Manchester City vs Arsenal will kick off at 8:15 pm BST (12:45 IST) and will be televised on Star Sports network (Select HD) in India, and you can also stream it live on the Disney + Hotstar app.
Premier League fixtures
June 17, 2020: Aston Villa vs Sheffield United (22:30 IST)
June 18, 2020: Manchester City vs Arsenal (00:45 IST)
June 19, 2020: Norwich City vs Southampton (22:30 IST)
June 20, 2020: Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United (00:45 IST)
June 20, 2020: Watford vs Leicester City (17:00 IST)
June 20, 2020: Brighton vs Arsenal (19:30 IST)
June 20, 2020: West Ham United vs Wolverhampton (22:00 IST)
June 21, 2020: Newcastle United vs Sheffield United (18:30 IST)
June 21, 2020: Aston Villa vs Chelsea (20:45 IST)
June 21, 2020: Everton vs Liverpool (23:30)
Latest Premier League results
March 10, 2020: Leicester City 4-0 Aston Villa
March 8, 2020: Manchester United 2-0 Manchester City
March 8, 2020: Chelsea 4-0 Everton
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Ian Kington
