Pep Guardiola and his ‘humbled’ boys begin a torrid 6-game round of games that includes two games against Real Madrid and dates with Liverpool, Spurs, and Newcastle, with a trip to the Emirates on Sunday.
With the title race on the verge of ceasing to become one with Liverpool leaving the rest behind, both teams will be desperate to claim maximum points in what promises to be an enthralling battle.
🔴Arsenal Look to Extend Home Unbeaten Streak | Home Win = 2.01💵
Arsenal have been formidable at home, remaining unbeaten in the Premier League at the Emirates this season. The Gunners have collected the most points in the league since game-week 11, highlighting their strong form.
Arsenal Players Celebrating Goal
With a recent 1-0 win over Wolves and progression to the UCL knockout stages secured, Arteta’s men are in a confident mood ahead of this clash.
Despite missing key players due to injury, Arsenal will be determined to maintain their strong defensive structure that has seen them concede just twice in their last six home league games.
🔵Man City Eye Statement Victory | Away Win = 4.05💵
Manchester City travel to North London in fine form, boasting a six-match unbeaten streak in the league. Guardiola’s men secured a 3-1 comeback win over Chelsea last weekend, showing their resilience.
,Man City Players Celebrating Goal
Despite a shaky UCL campaign, their domestic performances have improved in the second half of the season. With Haaland and Foden in form, the champions will look to break down a disciplined Arsenal defence and close the gap at the top.
🔑Key Players & Team News📰:
Arsenal remain without Ben White, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka, and Takehiro Tomiyasu due to injury concerns. However, Myles Lewis-Skelly is available after his red card was overturned, while Ethan Nwaneri could feature after impressing in the Champions League.
Halaand, City vs Gabriel, Arsenal
City will be without Rodri, Oscar Bobb, Ruben Dias, Jeremy Doku, and Nathan Ake. However, Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Vitor Reis are available for selection, adding depth to Guardiola’s squad.
🔢Match Stats & Betting Odds | Draw = 3.76💵
⚽The Gunners have held City scoreless in two of their last three meetings, including a crucial 1-0 victory at home last season.| Main Market: Home (1x2 - Early Pay-out) = 1.92
Arteta, Arsenal Boss & Pep, City Manager
⚽City have lost just one of their last 6 Premier League matches against the Gunners, winning 3 and drawing one| Specials Market: Draw/Away & Over 1.5 = 2.29
A win for Arsenal would put a little pressure on Liverpool at the summit of the league, while a City victory would put them firmly back in contention and boost their confidence ahead of the tough round of games they have coming.
🔗You can check out the EPL game, Arsenal vs Man City, here on MSport.
Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United host Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Sunday, aiming to extend their four-game unbeaten run across all competitions.
The Red Devils, buoyed by a 2-0 Europa League win over FCSB, face a Palace side with the Premier League’s best away defence (11 goals conceded) but fresh off a 2-1 defeat to Brentford.
🔴Man United Aim to Translate European Form to EPL | Home Win = 2.07💵
United’s European campaign has been a rare bright spot, with an unbeaten record (5W, 3D) in the Europa League group phase. Domestically, however, they languish in 12th place, needing a strong finish to avoid their worst-ever Premier League season.
Man United Players Celebrating Goal
A gritty 1-0 win at Fulham—courtesy of Lisandro Martinez’s deflected strike—hinted at resilience, but consistency remains elusive. Amorim’s men have won just two of their last six home league games, raising questions about Old Trafford’s fading intimidation factor.
Kobbie Mainoo’s emergence, highlighted by his goal in Romania, offers hope, though, the Manchester club could count on players like Amad and Fernandes, who had been clutch for them this season, to help get the job done.
🔵Crystal Palace Target Repeat of Old Trafford Shock | Away Win = 3.90💵
Crystal Palace stunned United 1-0 at Old Trafford last season and this season, they arrive again with momentum from a seven-game unbeaten away league games streak despite the 1-2 Brentford loss at home last Sunday.
Palace Players Celebrating Goal
Jean-Philippe Mateta’s four goals in four January games earned him a Player of the Month nomination, while 19-year-old Romain Esse announced himself with a debut goal last weekend in a month that saw Palace accrue 7 points from a possible 12.
Defensive solidity defines Oliver Glasner’s side, seeing them concede 11 away goals in the league this season, the best in the league so far, and something which could come in handy against a misfiring United.
🔑Key Players & Team News📰:
United’s absentee list includes Shaw (hamstring), Evans, and Mount. Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte anchor the midfield, while Mainoo and Dalot’s new form could help United unlock Palace’s defence.
Amad, United vs Mateta, Palace
Palace misses Riad and Trevor Chalobah, leaving Guehi and Andersen as central defensive pillars. Mateta’s physicality and Eberechi Eze’s creativity will be critical, with Esse offering pace off the bench.
🔢Match Stats & Betting Odds | Draw = 3.58💵
⚽Palace, unbeaten in their last 7 away league games, have kept 4 clean sheets in their last 5 away league matches. | Specials Market: Draw/Away & Over 1.5 Goals = 2.34
⚽United, unbeaten in their last 3 games in all competitions, have beaten Palace in 2 of their last 3 meetings at the Old Trafford. | Specials: Home/Draw & Over 2.5 = 2.46
Amorim, United Manger & Glasner, Palace Boss
⚽There have been over 1.5 goals in 3 of the last 5 meetings between United and Palace & in 4 of the last 5 games of both teams. | Main Market = 1.30
Conclusion:
Amorim’s United faces a pivotal test, converting European grit into league results. Palace, organized defensively and fueled by Mateta’s scoring streak, aims to exploit away form.
🔗You can follow and bet on the EPL game, Man United vs Crystal Palace, here on MSport.
Every African child who grew up knowing what football is and was a fan of the sport from the 2000s to the 2020s had at least once before heard the words, “Drooooogbaaaa!!” or “Samuel Eto’ooooooooo!!”, echo through either their own TV sets and radio sets or a neighbour’s.
These two strikers, both in their elements at slightly different times, have arguably been Africa’s two biggest exports as far as No.9s go and they have made a lot of kids’ dreams and heroes.
However, while we love and respect them equally, we’ve often wondered, if they had gone head-to-head, who would have outshone the other?
Didier Drogba for Chelsea (Left) & Samuel Eto'o for Barcelona (Right)
Cameroon’s Eto’o once said not even Drogba or Senegal’s Alhaji Diouf would dare compare themselves to him, underscoring that “it’s a fact”.
Recently, Mikel Obi, the Nigerian teammate of Drogba at Chelsea during his playing days (Oh yes, both players are retired, Eto’o too), has said that his Ivorian former colleague was so important at the London club that, whenever there was a big game, it was a “Drogba Week”.
"The only problem with Drogba was he chose the games he showed up in, if we played Hull or Stoke he knew he wasn't needed as much as we'd find a way to win anyway, but a big game?
Didier Drogba for Ivory Coast (Left) & Samuel Eto'o for Cameroon (Right)
“They would massage him, get him ready. Do you need anything, anything we can do for you? We knew it was a Didier Drogba week when a big fixture came", Mikel Obi stated.
By now, you know where this is headed. In this article, we’ve compared the two African legends to see who was better.
We’ve analysed their club stats and national team stats, trophies for both club and country, their accolades, their roles in lifting those trophies and their importance and significance for their teams.
A physical powerhouse, Drogba’s 34 goals in 38 cup finals epitomised his clutch gene throughout his career. With a 0.63 goal contribution per game average, he propelled Chelsea, the place he spent the most time, to 4 Premier League titles, 4 FA Cups, and the 2012 Champions League.
Didier scored the equaliser and winning penalty in the final of that 2012 UCL against Bayern Munich. His aerial dominance (43% headed goals) redefined the target-man role.
🔵Samuel Eto’o: 858 apps, 421 goals, 134 assists (Cameroon, Barcelona & Inter Milan etc)
As the ruthless finisher he was, Eto’o averaged 0.64 goal contributions per game in his career, firing Barca, his longest-serving club, to 3 La Liga titles and 2 Champions Leagues, scoring in both 2006 and 2009 finals.
At Inter, his selfless wing-play helped secure a historic treble (2010) under Mourinho.
Samuel Eto'o for Barcelona
Edge: Eto’o’s efficiency & CV at two top clubs (3 UCLs with 2 clubs) edge Drogba’s clutch heroics in London.
🏆National Team Contributions🏆:
🔵Drogba (Ivory Coast): 105 caps, 65 goals:
While trophies eluded him (0 AFCON titles), he inspired Ivory Coast’s golden generation, leading them to three World Cups (2006–2014) and the 2006 AFCON final. His iconic 2005 speech halted a civil war, transcending sport.
🔴Eto’o (Cameroon): 118 caps, 56 goals:
Didier Drogba for Ivory Coast (Left) & Samuel Eto'o for Cameroon (Right)
A two-time AFCON winner (2000, 2002) and 2000 Olympic gold medallist, Eto’o’s pace and positioning made him Africa’s all-time World Cup scorer (3 goals). He captained Cameroon to the 2003 Confederations Cup final.
Edge: Eto’o’s silverware for his national side and longevity tip the scale.
🏆⚽Club Achievements & Roles⚽🏆:
🔵Drogba, Chelsea’s Spiritual Leader:
Didier’s physicality, ability to score from any range, and big-game mentality forged their identity. Without his 9 final goals, Chelsea’s 2012 UCL fairytale remains unwritten.
🔴Eto’o, Special but in a System Player in Super Teams:
Didier Drogba for Chelsea (Left) & Samuel Eto'o for Inter Milan (Right)
Samuel was special but he played in special teams either at Barcelona or Inter. His quick feet, fades, and ability to beat offside traps with his off-ball runs, were exceptional but not more than his clinical finishing in the box.
At Inter, Mourinho’s tactical shift to deploy him as a winger unlocked counterattacking brilliance.
Edge: Drogba’s legacy is indivisible from Chelsea’s rise; Eto’o thrived in diverse systems.
Didier Drogba for Cote d'Ivoire (Left) & Samuel Eto'o for Cameroon (Right)
🏆National Team Achievements & Influence🏆:
Drogba’s leadership united a fractured nation, but Ivory Coast’s lack of trophies stains his legacy. Eto’o delivered when it mattered: his AFCON-winning goals (2000, 2002) and Olympic gold cemented Cameroon as Africa’s 1990s–2000s powerhouse.
Statistically, Eto’o reigns supreme: more trophies, adaptability across leagues, and clinical precision. His 3 UCL titles with two clubs and AFCON dominance underscore a legacy built on cold-blooded efficiency.
But Drogba’s cultural imprint is unmatched. He was Chelsea, a symbol of resilience who delivered when the stakes were highest. While Eto’o blended into superteams, Drogba carried his.
Didier Drogba for Galatasaray (Left) & Samuel Eto'o for Chelsea (Right)
Final Verdict: Eto’o’s trophy cabinet and stats make him the better player; Drogba’s mythic moments and leadership make him the bigger icon. For sheer impact on club and country, Drogba’s legacy echoes louder.
🔗You can check out this weekend’s games on MSport.
