Premier League Game of the Week: Man City and Arsenal battle for the trophy

This is it: The most important game of the Premier League season. (No, seriously, for real this time.) Man City and Arsenal enter this match with everything to play for: just one point separates them in the Premier League table.

The challenge for Man City and Arsenal is the momentum-killing international break that took away some of their thunder last weekend. Both teams were on a roll, with Arsenal winning eight in a row in the Premier League and City unbeaten in 13. All of that positive momentum has vanished over the course of the break, though, and many of City and Arsenal's key players returned from international duty with concerning injuries.

Man City vs. Arsenal, Sunday, March 31, 11:30 a.m. ET, NBC, Telemundo

City was already struggling with injuries to goalkeeper Ederson, midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and all-around attacking nuisance Jack Grealish; the break added Kyle Walker, John Stones and Manuel Akanji to the "doubtful" list. Akanji and Ederson now look like they'll be okay to play, but the rest remain sidelined right when City needs them. Arsenal got off a little bit lighter, with just Martinelli out from the first team, but star winger Bukayo Saka withdrew from the England squad with a muscle injury and may not be fully fit.

An unstoppable force is hitting an immovable object in this game. Arsenal has an eight-game win streak, but it has a seven-game loss streak against City at the Etihad. This away fixture has been a thorn in Arsenal's side for years; it's been outscored 21-3 in it since its last positive result. But Arsenal beat Man City convincingly in the reverse fixture earlier this season and has proven itself eminently capable of hurting the defending champions.

It's all too much to parse. But here's what we're keeping an eye on as the "Game of the Season" kicks off at the Etihad.

Result. In many ways, this game is simply too close to call ... meaning a draw is an interesting prospect at +280. These two sides haven't shared points in the league since 2017 but they've never looked quite as evenly matched as they do today. It's also worth noting that many of the Premier League's "title deciding" games this season have ended in draws: this is the last of six competitive matches between Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal, and three of the preceding five ended all square.

There's only one team who has broken that "title decider" draw streak this season, though, and that's Arsenal. The remaining two "decider" fixtures were won handily by the Gunners (1-0 over City in the reverse fixture and 3-1 over Liverpool a few weeks ago.) We're hesitant about Arsenal's chances at the Etihad, but fans of the club can cite this record and opt for an Arsenal win at +280.

If both of these options sound reasonable, a double-chance option for either a draw or an Arsenal win is available at -120.

Goals and assists. These are two relentlessly forward-thinking teams, and that means that goals could come from literally anywhere on the field in this one. We've got our eyes on Arsenal's Leandro Trossard, though. He may not start this game, but if he doesn't, he's nailed on for a substitute appearance, and he tends to show up in a big way in games like these. He's at +210 to score or assist; we'll take those odds all day.

Goalkeeper saves. Here's a question for you: do you think that a City team featuring Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and more is capable of delivering at least five shots on target this game? If so, you might want to back Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya to make greater than 4.5 saves in this match. Arsenal has conceded the fewest goals of any team in the Premier League this season (it's let in just 24) and has the lowest post-shot expected goal figure in the league. Man City will keep Raya busy this weekend, but he's proved himself capable of standing up to that challenge.