Arsenal, Man City bid to stake title claim

 Both managers dismiss it, but Manchester City's trip to Arsenal on Monday is being billed as a clash between the two teams most capable of lifting the Premier League title.

Leicester City's 3-2 win at Everton guaranteed that they will top the table on Christmas Day, but
amid doubts over their staying power and with other contenders floundering, Arsenal and City remain the favourites.

Leicester have a five-point lead over Arsenal, with City a point further back in third place, and the London club's manager Arsene Wenger knows how important is it for his side to take points from their rivals.

"We have really established a good run so for us it's important to continue that," he said.

"It is a massive game. When we play at home you want to win because we are ambitious and we feel we have the chance to come out in a strong position after Christmas.

"It will be a very tight game because if you look at the numbers since the start of the season, offensively and defensively the numbers are very close.

"Manchester City has huge individual potential with David Silva and Sergio Aguero coming back and so we will need a top, top-level team performance."

Silva recently returned to action for City after two months out with an ankle injury and Aguero could make his comeback at the Emirates Stadium after missing four matches with a heel problem.

Wenger, meanwhile, is hopeful that Alexis Sanchez will be fit to play after a hamstring injury, raising the appetising prospect that both teams will be at full strength in attack.

They are both bereft elsewhere, however, with Arsenal missing midfielders Jack Wilshere, Francis Coquelin, Santi Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky, as well as forward Danny Welbeck.

City captain Vincent Kompany is not ready to play despite having returned to training following a calf complaint, and Fernando, Pablo Zabaleta and Samir Nasri are also currently unavailable.