PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue:
Emirates Stadium
Date:
Saturday, 4 April
Kick-off:
1500 BST
Coverage:
Score updates on Final Score, BBC Sport website and BBC Radio 5 Live; live text commentary on BBC Sport website; Highlights on Match of the Day
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas returns after three months out with a knee injury and Theo Walcott, Emmanuel Adebayor and Nicklas Bendtner are back.
But Robin van Perise and Eduardo (both groin), Abou Diaby (thigh) and Samir Nasri (virus) are all out.
Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy (knee) is a major doubt but Robinho is should be fit despite limping out of Brazil's midweek World Cup qualifier.
Wayne Bridge could also be in line to return from a hamstring injury.
Arsenal (from): Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Walcott, Denilson, Fabregas, Arshavin, Bendtner, Adebayor, Fabianski, Djourou, Gibbs, Vela, Eboue, Silvestre, Song, Nasri.
Manchester City (from): Given, Richards, Onuoha, Dunne, Zabaleta, Wright-Phillips, Elano, De Jong, Kompany, Robinho, Bojinov, Bridge, Garrido, Fernandes, Evans, Etuhu, Berti, Vassell, McGivern, Hart.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger:
"We have put ourselves in a very strong position because of the hard work we have done.
"But it is the final part of the season where every single game becomes massively important, nearly a decider.
"We have eight games in 24 days and our success will be determined by the squad and not by any given player."
Manchester City manager Mark Hughes:
"It will not be a case of us trying to stop them playing because I have talent at my disposal.
"It is about having a game plan that will prevent Arsenal dictating the tempo of the play for 90 minutes.
"It isn't a matter of getting in the faces of the Arsenal players and being physical, it is about having an effect on their game that enhances your own."
Arsenal are the only unbeaten club in the Premier League in 2009. Their 16-match undefeated run is the Gunners' longest in a single season since they went through the 2003-04 campaign without loss.
The last club to beat Arsenal in the league were Manchester City; 3-0 in the reverse fixture at Eastlands on 22 November.
The Champions League quarter-finalists, are on course for a top four finish and a Champions League spot next term, three points better off than fifth placed Aston Villa. Manchester City, England's sole Uefa Cup survivors, are making a late bid for entry to next season's Europa League.
Mid-table City have only beaten Sunderland on their top-flight travels, and have not won in 13 Premier League games on the road.
Arsenal have won four more league games than the Citizens, but have only scored two more goals.
Manchester City have not won a league game on Arsenal turf for over 33 years.
Distance between the clubs: 197 miles (317 kilometres)
ARSENAL
4th 55 points
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 4th
Lowest could fall: 4th
1. Won the last three Premier League matches; not won four on the bounce since the last four fixtures last season.
2. Won eight and drawn eight of their last 16 Premier League matches. If that is extended, it will become the longest undefeated sequence by any club in this top-flight season.
3. Lost one of 21 in all competitions.
4. Kept clean sheets in five of the last seven league games, conceding just two goals in the seven matches. Let in only four Premier League goals in 2009; fewer than any other club.
5. Won half of their league fixtures; 15 of 30.
6. Down by 12 points on this same stage last season, when they were second in the table.
7. Victory would take their all-time total of home Premier League points to 700.
8. Manchester City are one of two clubs who could still do the double over Arsenal. Stoke is the other.
9. The seven-match run-in after this includes fixtures against the three other 'Big Four' clubs. The full list is:- Wigan (a), Liverpool (a), Middlesbrough (h), Portsmouth (a), Chelsea (h), Manchester United (a) and Stoke (h).
10. This match precedes the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final, away to Villarreal, next Tuesday.
MANCHESTER CITY
10th 38 points
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 7th
Lowest could fall: 11th
1. Won all nine Premier League matches in which clean sheets have been kept; lost all eight league games in which they have failed to score.
2. Down by 10 points on this same stage last season when in the top eight.
3. Won one of their last eight against 'Big Four' clubs; the victory being 3-0, home to Arsenal in the reverse fixture on 22 November.
4. The on longest current run of any Premier League club with a goalless draw; completed 37 matches since drawing 0-0 away to Bolton on 22 March last year.
5. Picked up just five points out of a last possible 39 away from home since a 0-3 victory over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on 31 August.
6. Averaging a goal a game away from home in the Premier League; 15 in 15.
7. Gained only two points from the last seven top-flight visits to London, since winning 0-2 against West Ham at Upton Park on 11 August 2007.
8. Arsenal are the only club they could do the double over this season.
9. The seven-match run-in after this includes a visit to the league leaders. The full list is:- Fulham (h), WBA (h), Everton (a), Blackburn (h), Manchester United (a), Tottenham (a) and Bolton (h).
10. This match precedes Thursday's first leg of the Uefa Cup quarter-final, away to Hamburg.
ARSENAL
Robin VAN PERSIE is Arsenal's top Premier League scorer with nine goals.
Manuel ALMUNIA is the only remaining player to have started all of Arsenal's Premier League matches this season.
MANCHESTER CITY
ROBINHO is the club's top Premier League scorer with 11 goals, but he's yet to find the back of the net in this calendar year.
If he scores:-
Shaun WRIGHT-PHILLIPS will reach the milestone of 50 club career goals (Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and Chelsea).
If selected:-
Shay GIVEN will be making his 500th club appearance (Blackburn, Swindon, Sunderland, Newcastle and Manchester City).
The winning club has scored three goals in four of the last six Premier League meetings between Arsenal and Manchester City, including the reverse fixture in which City prevailed without reply. Victory would therefore land City a first Premier League double over the North London club.
The Gunners are defending an unbeaten home Premier League record against Manchester City, and vying for a fourth successive home win.
City have drawn six and lost 17 of 23 league visits to Arsenal since an odd goal in five victory on 4 October 1975, when Asa Hartford, Joe Royle and Rodney Marsh were all on target. Bertie Mee's Arsenal finished 17th in that season.
City have never scored more than one goal in a Premier League game at Arsenal, and have not kept a clean sheet at the North London club since the goalless draw on 16 October 1993.
Home and away
League (inc PL): Arsenal 82 wins, Man City 42, Draws 37
Prem: Arsenal 18 wins, Man City 2, Draws 3
at Arsenal only
League (inc PL): Arsenal 50 wins, Man City 13, Draws 17
Prem: Arsenal 9 wins, Man City 0, Draws 2
Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City
25 August 2007 - Ref: Chris Foy
Arsenal scorer: Fabregas 80
Manchester City 3-0 Arsenal
22 November 2008 - Ref: Alan Wiley
Man City scorers: Ireland 45, Robinho 56, Sturridge 90 pen
Andre Marriner (West Midlands)
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