In The Mixer is FST’s weekly column where we catch up with our team of football betting experts and get their opinion on the hot topic of the week.

Wednesday night pits the top two in the Premier League – Manchester City and Arsenal – against one another in what many have billed as a title decider, and with good reason.

The winner of the tie will hold the fate of the Premier League trophy in their own hands, so we’ve asked experts from across Spotlight Sports Group for their best bets for Wednesday’s massive tie.

I’ve taken these expertly-selected bets and combined as many as I can into a Bet Builder, which you can back below if you’re a Betfair customer. If you’re not, you can sign up below to receive up to £30 in free bets for use in this midweek round of Premier League action.

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Cityzens heavily favoured on Wednesday

Ian Wilkerson

Sports journalist at Racing Post

Best bet – Manchester City to win & over 2.5 goals

If Arsenal’s deficiencies in defending both in open play and at set-pieces can be exposed by Southampton, the Premier League’s basement dwellers, then there have to be concerns about them keeping tabs on a rampant City attack.

The Gunners won’t sit back and knowing that the title will still be in their hands if they win at the Etihad should ensure they are positive.

A point may suit them more than the Citizens but they have to have the mindset that the Citizens will win all their remaining games, so slip-ups cannot be tolerated.

City are the strongest team in Europe, as expressed by their odds-on price to win the Champions League and they should win this clash so taking the City and over 2.5 goals at odds-against looks a solid play and it could even be worth a poke there are at least four goals in their victory too.

Rob Eddy

Sports journalist at ICS

Best bet – Manchester City over 2.5 team goals

Obviously this is a game which will have huge ramifications on the title race one way or another and it is easy to see why Manchester City are strong favourites, given the respective form of the two sides.

How to play this has put me in something of a quandary though, with a City win around 1/2, while 5/1 is on offer for a side that has the best away record in the division, winning 11 and losing just two of 16 away games in the league this season.

Still, conceding three against Southampton does not bode well and 7/4 for over 2.5 total home goals looks mighty tempting. City have scored at least three goals in seven of their last eight games. That includes tallies of seven, six and four (twice), as well as three three times – with Liverpool and Bayern Munich among the sides to have been put to the sword. Although expecting goals often leads to disappointment, City are in such a rich vein that the chance looks worth taking.

Aaron Ashley

Sports journalist at Racing Post

Best bet – Manchester City over 2.5 team goals

Defeat at the Etihad would surely confirm a successful title defence for Manchester City, who I expect to win and expect to win comfortably. For one reason or another, Arsenal have wilted under the pressure and defensive deficiencies have certainly not helped their cause.

The Gunners were held to 2-2 stalemates against Liverpool and West Ham before Friday’s thrilling 3-3 draw at home to Southampton, which means they have now kept only one clean sheet in seven.

Manchester City were 3-1 winners against Arsenal at the Etihad in February and I quite like the look of the hosts to score over 2.5 goals again at 13/8. The Citizens have netted three or more in nine of their last 11 home games, which includes against Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool, Leipzig and Bayern Munich.

James Mason

Sports journalist at ICS

Best bet – Manchester City to score a penalty

I expect Manchester City to pile on the pressure in front of an expectant Etihad crowd and given the trickery and quick-footed players at their disposal, I like the 10/3 you can get on the hosts to score a penalty.

City have been awarded a joint-high eight penalties in the league this season, converting all of them, while there has been a spot-kick awarded in each of the last two top-flight meetings against Arsenal.

Furthermore, Wednesday’s referee Michael Oliver has given three penalties in his last three matches, so it would be no surprise to see him add to that tally.

The players set to take the limelight

Alex Wrigley

Sports editor at Free Super Tips

Best bet – Erling Haaland to score two or more goals

Wednesday’s meeting at the Etihad is being touted as the Premier League title decider and rightly so, with the winner of this clash holding the fate of the title in their own hands.

On current form, it is hard to back against Manchester City, and Arsenal’s defensive lapses in recent weeks don’t do their chances any favours. They have conceded seven goals in their last three games and are without a competitive clean sheet in six matches – a fact that will have Erling Haaland chomping at the bit when he walks out onto the Etihad pitch.

Manchester City’s marquee summer signing has exceeded all expectations, smashing record after record in his first season in England and showing no signs of slowing down.

He has scored 48 goals in all competitions and 33 of those have come in his 22 appearances in front of the home faithful. The 22-year-old has found the net 15 times in his last eight games and has scored more than one goal on 13 occasions this season, nine of which have been at home. Back him to get at least a brace at 11/4.

Chris Rivers

Sports journalist at Racing Post

Best bet – Martin Odegaard to score anytime

While Arsenal’s defence has taken several steps back recently, their attack remains sharp, netting 15 goals across their last five games. With that in mind, and factoring in Man City’s record of five clean sheets in 15 home league outings, there looks to be some value amongst the anytime goalscorer market for Arsenal in a clash that promises goals.

Gabriel Jesus is an obvious shout on his return to the Etihad Stadium and having scored in three of his last four appearances, but Martin Odegaard at 5-1 may just trump him. The Gunners skipper has scored in the last two games to take his goal tally to 12 for the season with eight of those strikes coming away from the Emirates.

James Milton

Sports journalist at Racing Post

Best bet – Oleksandr Zinechenko & Gabriel Jesus to be shown a card

Arsenal’s poor defensive displays in their last three games are hugely encouraging for Manchester City and the Gunners struggled to keep their discipline in dramatic draws with Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton.

Former City players Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus will be particularly pumped up for their return to the Etihad Stadium and both are worth backing to be shown a card.

Zinchenko’s five yellow cards in 2023 include one in January’s FA Cup defeat at City and another against Southampton last Friday. Jesus, who never shirks his defensive duties, was booked against the Hammers and five of his six cautions this season have come away from home.

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