Man City vs. Arsenal Bet Builder Tips
The FA Cup fourth round gets underway on Friday evening with the pick of the ties taking place at the Etihad with Manchester City taking on Arsenal. We’ve got Anthony Eadson on hand with his best Bet Builder tips for the game in the form of a 28/1 fouls-based selection.
Manchester City and Arsenal could still potentially play each other four times between now and the end of the season with this FA Cup fourth round tie coming before the pair meet in the Premier League on February 15.
Five points separate Pep Guardiola’s side from the Gunners in the league standings, although Arteta’s side do have a game in hand over their title rivals.
The last trophy that Arsenal lifted was the FA Cup back in 2020, which may well have kept the current Arsenal boss in a job at that time. No team has tasted FA Cup glory more than the Gunners with 14, while City are in search of their seventh title this time round after their most recent win in 2019.
In terms of the Match Result odds on Friday evening, the home side are the bookmakers favourites, priced at 3/4 to get the job done in 90 minutes. The draw is on offer at 16/5, while a statement win for Arsenal is also available at 16/5 with most firms.
Man City vs Arsenal Bet Builder Tips
Mahrez & Trossard 2+ Fouls
Player fouls betting continues to grow in popularity and both of our selections on Friday come from here with the first player we are targeting being Riyad Mahrez.
A player not typically known for a poor disciplinary record, we think Mahrez looks a little overpriced here in the fouls market with Paddy Power, with 1+ on offer at even money (1/1) and 2+ available at 5/1.
In the Algerian’s last nine starts for City, Mahrez has committed 1+ fouls on seven occasions. In three of those nine matches, Mahrez has made 2+ fouls, with those being against Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham.
This shows a tendency for Mahrez to rack up the fouls against the stronger teams in the division and with this 5/1 shout landing in two of his last three appearances, this looks a very backable price.
One player who we expect to make their first start for Arsenal is Leandro Trossard. The Belgian looked lively when coming on as a substitute in the win over Manchester United last Sunday and this FA Cup clash should provide him with a chance to showcase his skills from the off.
On six occasions in the Premier League last season, Trossard committed two or more fouls and with what’s expected from Mikel Arteta’s forwards in terms of pressing and work-rate, we think his foul count could well rise in comparison to when at Brighton.
Prior to leaving the Seagulls, Trossard had committed 1+ fouls in five of his last seven league starts and combining him to make 2+ on Friday along with Riyad Mahrez pays 28/1 with either Paddy Power or Betfair.
