Arsenal vs. Manchester City: Bold Predictions for a Massive Match

Arsenal and Manchester City will both look to get back to winning ways on Sunday in what is a crucial game for both teams.

City might be eight points behind rivals Manchester United before kickoff in the title race, while the Gunners will want to get back in front of Tottenham Hotspur and prove that their capitulation against QPR was just a one-off.

The last time the two teams met, the Citizens won what was a very close, evenly-matched game. But Arsenal have been on a great run of form recently, and City have slipped up at every opportunity with the pressure on.

It is sure to be an exhibition of beautiful, free-flowing, attacking football from both sides in an open game, and neither team will be able to rest until the final whistle due to the other's prolific attack.

Here are some bold predictions for what is sure to be a riveting match.

Mario Balotelli Will Be Mario Balotelli

Mario Balotelli is one of the most perplexing enigmas in world football.

One week, City manager Robert Mancini, with whom he has a tempestuous relationship, openly claims that he cannot trust his striker, and a day later Balotelli scores a brace to save a draw for his team.

Mancini is right that Balotelli is utterly unpredictable. But his temperamental nature can also be a tremendous benefit to his team. When he isn't quarreling with other players, his own players or the referee, he is one of the most dangerous strikers in England.

Arsenal will have to prepare to face the good Balotelli on Sunday, but it would be a very intelligent strategy to frustrate him until he reaches the boiling point.

Thomas Vermaelen Will Redeem Himself

Thomas Vermaelen is an extremely motivated, driven player who does not enjoy the taste of failure. He will therefore be extremely motivated to atone for his crucial mistakes against QPR that cost Arsenal the game.

His wild flail at Adel Taarabt resulted in Rangers' first goal, and a very unfortunate slip produced their second, which the Gunners were never able to recover from.

This week, with so much on the line and an intense game in store, Vermaelen's competitive vigor will undoubtedly be at its highest. When leaders like him have something to prove, they usually get the job done with aplomb.

Kolo Toure Will Stifle Robin van Persie

The last time that Arsenal faced off against Manchester City, Kolo Toure was tasked with silencing England's best striker: Robin van Persie.

The Ivorian performed admirably and took his friend out of the game at times with the sort of strong defensive play that surely makes Arsene Wenger rue the day when he sold him to City in 2009.

While Joleon Lescott may return to the Citizens' back four at the Emirates Stadium, I don't think that Roberto Mancini will be keen to take Toure out of the side against a foe that he has neutralized in the past, especially as Lescott has no matches under his belt since suffering a groin injury.

If Toure can keep up his good run of form against Arsenal, City's defences will be extremely tough to breach.

Theo Walcott Will Have the Best Game of His Season

We have been seeing it for the past few weeks now: occasional but frequent periods of brilliance from Theo Walcott that would heretofore have been very isolated occurrences.

They are indicative of a player knocking on the door of a breakout, and I believe that one is imminent for the young Englishman. Sooner or later, he is bound to have one game where he single-handedly beats an opponent with his speed and finishing.

I believe that will happen on Sunday.

The last time Walcott faced City, Pablo Zabaleta effectively took him out of the game. But he did not have any cover from his right back with Johan Djourou forced into an unnatural position and was therefore forced to fill two positions.

When he is able to completely focus on the attacking aspect of his game this weekend and with Robin van Persie to support him, look for Walcott to be absolutely devastating.

It Will Be a Battle of the Goalkeepers

With the extremely potent attacks that both sides possess, each defence will be extremely busy throughout the match.

But both will frequently be breached; it's an inevitability in a match that features two of the top teams in England. And when leaks occur, Wojciech Szczesny and Joe Hart will have to be on top form to keep the ball out of their respective nets.

Both should be up to the job, though. Szczesny has had several good games in succession after struggling a bit during the winter months, and though Hart let in three goals last week, he has been sublime all season for the Citizens.

If it does become a battle of the goalkeepers, both teams will fancy their chances.

Arsenal Will Win—and City Will Lose the Title

Losing this match will have catastrophic consequences for Manchester City, but I believe that they will capitulate yet again.

If Manchester United beats QPR before kick-off and City loses, the blue half of Manchester will find itself eight points behind the red. With six matches to go after this, it will be an almost insurmountable gap.

I have serious doubts that City will be able to cope with the massive pressure that will be heaped upon them, as they have recently crumbled against supposedly inferior teams when forced to keep pace with their rivals in the title race.

For Arsenal, a win will signal that a disappointing loss last week was only an isolated incident in an otherwise stellar run of form. And it will bring the Gunners one step closer to securing the return of St. Totteringham's Day once again.

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