After their midweek slip, Pep Guardiola's side have no room for error at the Etihad Stadium against a Gunners side chasing the Champions League spots

Manchester City will attempt to keep the pressure on Liverpool at the top of the Premier League when they host an Arsenal side that has been performing well this season.

Pep Guardiola’s men were stunned 2-1 by Newcastle on Tuesday, but the Reds’ inability to overcome Leicester the following day means that they are still in touch.

City know that any further slips may be fatal, though their next task is one of the most testing they will face before the end of the campaign as they tackle the Gunners, who have their own agenda as they chase the Champions League spots next term.

Neither side can afford to give an inch, but who will come out on top?

Game Manchester City v Arsenal
Date Sunday, February 3
Time 4:30pm GMT / 11:30am ET
Stream (US only)
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US),
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US TV channel Online stream
NBCSN
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be watched live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League. It can be streamed on Sky Go.

UK TV channel Online stream
Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Premier League Sky Go
Squads & Team News
Position Manchester City squad
Goalkeepers Ederson, Muric
Defenders Stones, Laporte, Otamendi, Sandler, Mendy, Walker, Danilo, Zinchenko
Midfielders Fernadinho, Gundogan, Delph, Zinchenko, Foden, D. Silva, Diaz, B. Silva, Mahrez
Forwards Aguero, Jesus, Sterling, Sane
Benjamin Mendy may be able to return to action after knee surgery and could even feature from the beginning of the game.

Definitely sidelined are Claudio Bravo and Vincent Kompany.

Sergio Aguero should be prefered to Gabriel Jesus in attack.

Possible Man City starting XI: Ederson; Walker, Otamendi, Laporte, Mendy; B. Silva, Fernandinho, Gundogan; Sterling, Aguero, Sane

Position Arsenal squad
Goalkeepers Cech, Leno, Martinez
Defenders Sokratis, Koscielny, Lichtsteiner, Jenkinson, Kolasinac, Medley, Pleguezuelo
Midfielders Elneny, Ramsey, Torreira, Maitland-Niles, Guendouzi, Xhaka, Willock
Forwards Iwobi, Saka, Lacazette, Aubameyang, Nketiah
Arsenal are still troubled by a number of injury problems, with the issues in the defence still rather acute.

Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Rob Holding and Hector Bellerin are long-term absentees, although Laurent Koscielny may be able to return.

There are doubts over Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Danny Welbeck is still absent.

Possible Arsenal starting XI: Leno; Koscielny, Mustafi, Monreal; Lichtsteiner, Torreira, Xhaka, Kolasinac; Ramsey, Iwobi; Aubameyang

Betting & Match Odds
Manchester City are hot 3/10 favourites to win this game with Bet365. Arsenal can be backed at 17/2, while the draw is 11/2.


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Match Preview
Manchester City Newcastle Sergio Aguero 2018-19

Pep Guardiola has been forced to ask his Manchester City team some difficult questions over the course of the last few days.

A 2-1 loss at Newcastle might have ended their push to retain the Premier League title had Liverpool not slipped up at home 24 hours later, but the Catalan has rejected claims that his team do not have the level of motivation that they should after suffering a fourth defeat in nine league outings.

“We are not happy about the last performance,” he said. "But if we did not have the motivation we would not be here, where we are - in all competitions, in another final in the Carabao Cup, being there in the Champions League, finishing first in the group and qualifying for the last 16 and in the league.

"Every game is a challenge to see what you can do better and sometimes there are ups and downs during the season for the players. They cannot sustain 11 months at the top level when our opponents want to beat us.”

Meanwhile, Arsenal boss Unai Emery has praised the influence of his counterpart.

“I think it’s difficult to find one coach who is better than Guardiola,” he said. “I learned a lot looking at his team — it’s good to look at each other when we are coaches to learn different things between us. I think in his career he's doing the best in all the coaches in the world.”

Despite the respect he holds towards his compatriot, though, he is eager to secure the three points at the weekend after owner Stan Kroenke's son, Josh, publicly declared his desire to see the Gunners back in the Champions League – and going all the way in the competition.

“The only thing on a par with the Super Bowl is Arsenal making the Champions League final. It is something we are very focused on,” he told the Telegraph, considering the success of the LA Rams, who will play in Sunday’s NFL showpiece, that he holds a controlling stake over.

"I have been telling my friends all week the Super Bowl is the biggest spectacle that we have here and the Champions League is something in Europe that we strive for and we look forward to being a part of in the future."

The pressure is on the Gunners after Chelsea regained fourth spot on Saturday with a 5-0 win over Huddersfield but their opponents in this monumental clash face an equal weight of expectancy.