Last season saw us triumph in the Community Shield before claiming a home win and a draw on our previous visit to the blue half of Manchester, as we continue to close the gap on Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering side.
City come into this game as the only team with a 100% record from their opening four league fixtures, stretching their run to 13 straight Premier League victories and 27 unbeaten. The opening day saw a 2-0 success at Chelsea, before Erling Haaland netted hat-tricks against Ipswich Town and West Ham United in 4-1 and 3-1 wins.
Last week saw the Norwegian hit nine for the campaign already with both goals in a 2-1 win against Brentford - the most any player has registered in the first four games of a Premier League campaign - but City have trailed early in both of their home matches so far.
Both ourselves and Guardiola’s men head into this one off the back of goalless draws against Italian opponents in the Champions League, after City were held at home by Inter Milan on Wednesday. Interestingly, they have only won two of their last seven matches following a midweek European game, drawing five and losing the other to ourselves last term.
Arteta: “We’re expecting a really competitive one. We're going to the home of the champions, the team that I think in Premier League history has been the most consistent ever, not only in terms of results but in terms of dominance and consistent top performances.
“This is the challenge, we have to go there and prove that again we’ve made another step and we can compete.”
Guardiola: “It's always been a tight game in the last years because they are good but we are good too. In many things, high pressing, transition, they are a complete team. That’s why they have been our biggest rivals in last two seasons.
“In terms of the table, it’s not so important. What will be important is when we go to London in the second part of the season. It’s not a motivation that we have to win to be five points ahead after five fixtures! It’s to do a good game.”
Arteta is set to have the same group of players available to him that he did against Atalanta, with Martin Odegaard (ankle), Mikel Merino (shoulder), Oleksandr Zinchenko (calf), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) and Kieran Tierney (hamstring) on the sidelines.
However Declan Rice is available again after serving his one-match suspension for his red card against Brighton & Hove Albion last month.
Kevin de Bruyne is Guardiola’s big concern after he came off at half-time against Inter with a knock, and while the Spaniard believes he is improving, it remains to be seen if he’ll feature on Sunday.
Nathan Ake is definitely out after picking up a hamstring injury in action from the Netherlands in the last international break, while Oscar Bobb is a long-term casualty with a leg fracture sustained in training.
We have won 59 points from a possible 66 in 2024 (P22 W19 D2 L1), conceding just 10 goals and keeping 14 clean sheets in the process.
We could become the first side in Premier League history to go 12 successive matches on the road without falling behind.
We are looking to go four consecutive games without defeat against Man City for the first time since March 2014 – May 2016 (6 in a row), while we last kept three successive clean sheets against the Citizens in January 2011.
We have won 99 of our 211 meetings with Manchester City in all competitions. We’ve only reached triple figures for victories against Everton (111), while it’s the most defeats City have suffered against an opponent in their history.
Haaland has scored eight goals in his last three Premier League games, netting hat-tricks against Ipswich and West Ham, and a brace against Brentford. In Premier League history, only Luis Suarez has scored multiple goals in four consecutive appearances in December 2013.
Bukayo Saka has assisted a goal in all four games so far. In Premier League history, only Thierry Henry (2004/05) has provided an assist in each of a team’s first five matches.
Raheem Sterling has scored 52 Premier League goals at the Etihad Stadium, with only Sergio Aguero managing more (106). Indeed, Sterling netted home and away against the Citizens for Chelsea last term.
David Raya is unbeaten in his last four Premier League appearances against Man City, keeping a clean sheet in each of his last three. The last keeper to keep four consecutive was Edwin van der Sar for Man Utd between November 2008 – November 2010.
Thomas Partey saw his debut, 50th and 100th Arsenal appearances all come against Manchester City. Should he feature in this game, he will make his 100th Premier League appearance.
For the third season in a row and the fifth time in his career, Michael Oliver will referee one of our games against City. He oversaw our 1-0 home success last term, with our only other victory in those games coming in the 2014 Community Shield at Wembley.
He was the man in the middle for our win at Aston Villa last month, which is one of 11 successes from the last 13 under his watch. City meanwhile have won 17 of the last 20 Oliver has officiated, only losing to ourselves and Liverpool in that time, stretching back to October 2020.
Referee: Michael OliverAssistants: Stuart Burt, Dan CookFourth official: Andy MadleyVAR: John BrooksAssistant VAR: Richard West
The Etihad is a bogey ground for us, but last season saw us get our first point there since May 2016 courtesy of a hard-fought 0-0 draw.
That ended a run of eight defeats in a row in all competitions, with a 1-0 FA Cup fourth-round exit followed by a 4-1 defeat during the back end of the 2022/23 campaign. You have to go back to January 2015 for the last time we tasted victory, when a Santi Cazorla penalty and an Olivier Giroud header took all three points.
We have won at the Etihad seven times since it was opened in 2004, although five of those came in our first six visits before the Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008.
Manchester City welcome Arsenal to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday for one of the biggest games in the Premier League calendar. Mikel Arteta's side came close to breaking City's grip on the league title in each of the past two seasons -- they finished two points behind City last season with the title-race going down to the final day and the season prior, they led the league for a majority of the campaign but lost steam towards the end and finished five points behind City.
The two sides could be involved in another battle for the title this season after both have made promising starts. Here's everything you need to know about their clash on Sunday.
Date: Sunday, Sept. 22 at 4 p.m. BST (11 a.m. E.T.)
Venue: Etihad Stadium
Referee: Michael Oliver
VAR: John Brooks
The game will be shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and NBC Sports in the United States. You can also follow along live with ESPN's live updates.
City remain without defender Nathan Aké, who picked up an injury while on international duty with the Netherlands. Rodri, who made his first appearance of the season from off the bench in the Premier League win against Brentford, could return to the starting lineup.
Kevin De Bruyne is a doubt for City, with the Belgium international being forced off at half-time in City's Champions League meeting with Inter on Wednesday.
“The doctors said to me he wasn't right to play but I was thinking about changing it at half-time anyway,” Guardiola said about his injury after the game.
Arsenal will be without Martin Ødegaard, with Arteta confirming on Wednesday that the midfielder will be out “for a while” with a significant ankle injury. Like Ødegaard, Riccardo Calafiori too sat out Arsenal's win over Tottenham with injury but the Italy international was fit to come off the bench in the team's draw away at Atalanta in the Champions League on Thursday.
There is some good news for Arsenal, though. Declan Rice will be available for the trip to Manchester having served a one-match suspension for his red card against Brighton.
In July, Erling Haaland was announced as the most expensive player in Fantasy Premier League history after being priced at £15 million. Somehow, that figure has since been deemed too cheap. The striker's superb start to the season that has seen him score nine goals in four games -- including two hat tricks -- has seen his price rise to £15.2m.
However, it is worth noting that last season he twice failed to score against an Arsenal backline that boasted the best defensive record in the league.
Opting to captain someone besides Haaland this gameweek could prove fruitful and a key differential. But it is a high risk-high reward strategy.
- Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League matches, while Man City are unbeaten in their last 27 league games -- the longest streak of any team since Liverpool in 2020.
-City have enjoyed a 61.9% average possession this season, the second-most in the league compared to Arsenal's 46.8% (11th-most).
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City last beat Arsenal in any competition in April 2023 in what was a convincing 4-1 victory. However, in their three contests since then, Arsenal have won twice, including a Community Shield victory via penalties. The other match ended in a draw.
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Arsenal have conceded a league-leading 30 goals since the beginning of last season, including 21 clean sheets.
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Arsenal have an active 12-match unbeaten streak vs. “Big 6” opponents in the Premier League. City's active streak is 10 matches.
Stats provided by ESPN's Stats and Information Group.
Manchester City - WWWW
City have picked up where they left off last season. Their winning start to the campaign has pushed their unbeaten record in the league to 27 games.Following a comfortable win away to Chelsea on the opening day of the season, City romped to wins over Ipswich Town and West Ham courtesy of successive Haaland hat tricks. The 24-year-old scored a brace against Brentford last weekend as City came back to win 2-1 after conceding within 22 seconds.
They've racked up a staggering 11 goals in their opening four games while seemingly not stepping out of second gear. Their scoreless draw with Inter on Wednesday was the first time they've failed to score this season.
Mikel Arteta lauds his Arsenal side for their North London derby win without captain Martin Odegaard or suspended Declan Rice.
Arsenal - WWDW
Arsenal have had a near-flawless start to their campaign, with three wins in their opening four games. They impressed in tough away fixtures at Aston Villa and Tottenham but were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Brighton in a game that saw Rice receive a controversial red card. It remains the only league goal they've conceded so far this season.
The north London side's climb up the table in recent seasons has been built on defensive solidity and the addition of Jurriën Timber at left-back has imbued their backline with further aggression. While the goals have been spread across the team, Bukayo Saka has been the star man going forward, scoring one goal and registering four assists this season.
Guardiola on De Bruyne's injury:
“He feels a little better today [Friday] ... Tomorrow we train and we will see. He could be [involved].”
Guardiola on Phil Foden's slow start to the season:
“Every player needs a break. He played a good 45 minutes the last game [against Inter]. He was the best player in the league last season and can fight with the other midfield players. Unfortunately the final decision he was not more calm but his intensity and pressing and movements in small pockets, he is one of the best in the world. That's why we are very pleased that he is back.”
Arteta on Arsenal's tricky fixture list:
“We've been preparing for this since preseason. Obviously, we knew the schedule and we know that it's extremely rare to play in these conditions with three massive away games in six days. But it was what it was so we have prepared for that, both physically, mentally and tactically. We're making sure that everyone is ready for it because we're going to need them, especially with the injuries that we had from the international break.”
Arteta on if David Raya is the best goalkeeper in the world right now:
“I don't know. I haven't seen other goalkeepers, but at the moment he's been exceptional for us that's for sure.”
Arsenal midfielder Jorginho on Haaland's form:
“Erling scoring again ... it is starting to make us laugh,” Jorginho said. “We look because we watch all the games and we love the Premier League.”
“We watch [City] as well, which is normal. It doesn't get to our head. We need to focus on us and that is what we are trying to do.”
William Saliba, alongside his central defensive partner Gabriel Magalhães, didn't allow Haaland to take a single shot in both their meetings last season. However, repeating that feat on Sunday could prove a stern challenge for Saliba considering Haaland's superb start to the season.
Can Arsenal break their Etihad curse?
Arsenal's last win at the Etihad Stadium came in January 2015. To help put that into context, Arteta was still a player at the club.
Since taking over as manager in 2019, the Spaniard has transformed Arsenal into title contenders, and their away form has been central to that ascent. They are unbeaten away from home in 2024 -- an 11-game stretch that twice saw them win at Tottenham and Manchester United.
Arsenal came close to breaking their Etihad duck last April, with a scoreless draw marking the first time in eight years they avoided defeat there. Arteta will be hoping they can go one better on Sunday.
How will this game impact the title race?
It can seem premature to look at a side's fifth game of the season and forecast that it could have a real sway on the Premier League title, but that may be the case here.
City have won six league titles under Pep Guardiola, three of those by two points or less. Liverpool, who finished one point shy in 2018-19 and 2021-22, failed to beat City in each of those seasons. Arsenal fared better in the third instance, beating City in their first meeting last season before being the draw at the Etihad in the return fixture.
Come the end of the season, this game may be rememberd as an early six-pointer between two sides chasing the Premier League title.
It doesn't get any easier for Arsenal as they prepare for their third game in seven days. Up next for the Gunners is a trip to likely title rivals Manchester City.
While the contest feels significant at this early stage, neither side's campaign will be defined by Sunday's result. Arsenal scored a victory in the first meeting between these two last season, but City, of course, went on to win the title. However, a win for the stout visitors in Manchester would be huge.
They haven't won at the Etihad since Pep Guardiola succeeded Manuel Pellegrini as City boss.
Both teams were left frustrated in the week as Atalanta and Inter recorded draws against the Gunners and Cityzens respectively. In Bergamo, the absence of Martin Odegaard hindered Arsenal's efficiency in possession consderibaly, while City were perhaps fortunate to earn a point against the Nerazzurri despite Ilkay Gundogan spurning a pair of glorious headed chances late on.
The two teams remain unbeaten domestically, although City have maintained their 100% record through four games. Arsenal are two points behind the perennial champions with 10 points.
So, let's get into it! Join us for our Man City vs Arsenal preview, which features key information such as team news, predicted lineups, guidance on how to watch Man City vs Arsenal on TV and an inevitably correct score prediction.
This is a match-up Arsenal have historically dominated, but they beat Man City just once between the start of the 2017/18 season and end of the 2022/23 campaign in all competitions. Their sole victory arrived in an FA Cup semi-final during Arteta's first season at the club.
The Gunners fared better against Pep Guardiola's side last season, securing a rare league victory over City at the Emirates in October 2023. They also beat the country's dominant force in last year's Community Shield on penalties and held them to a stalemate on their last visit to the Etihad.
Date
Result
Competition
31 March 2024
Man City 0-0 Arsenal
Premier League
8 October 2023
Arsenal 1-0 Man City
Premier League
6 August 2023
Arsenal 1-1 (4-1p) Man City
Community Shield
26 April 2023
Man City 4-1 Arsenal
Premier League
15 February 2023
Arsenal 1-3 Man City
Premier League
Such a seismic Premier League bout was not going to be avoided by broadcasters across the globe, with this fixture highlighting Sky Sports' Sunday billing. The game will be shown on Sky Sports Maine Event and Sky Sports Premier League in the UK. There are multiple broadcasters of Man City vs Arsenal in the US, including USA Network and NBC Sports. The Fubo Sports Network is your avenue in Canada.
Kevin De Bruyne, who usually relishes outings against Arsenal, was forced off at half-time against Inter on Wednesday night and is a doubt for Sunday's game. It seems as if the Belgian superstar won't play, but Guardiola isn't exactly shy of options in that area of the pitch.
The hosts are also without Oscar Bobb, who broke his leg before the season got underway, while Nathan Ake is sidelined until October.
Both Rodri and Phil Foden should make their first Premier League starts of the season.
Predicted Man City lineup vs Arsenal: Ederson; Walker, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Rodri; Savinho, Foden, Gundogan, Grealish; Haaland.
There's unlikely to be much change on the injury front from Thursday's trip to Bergamo. Oleksandr Zinchenko missed out once more for Arteta's side, and it was confirmed in the week that Martin Odegaard will be out for a while after damaging his ankle ligaments.
Arteta could deploy a defensive midfield trio of Declan Rice, Jorginho, and Thomas Partey with Kai Havertz returning to a striker position. Leandro Trossard could also come in for Gabriel Martinelli down the left with Raheem Sterling also in contention to face his former club.
Kieran Tierney, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Mikel Merino remain out for the visitors.
Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Man City: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Jorginho, Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Trossard.
Many are projecting a similar game to the one in March, which means I'm going to go against the grain somewhat. This might not be the most thrilling of duels, but it will be tense and neither manager will want to lose.
I wouldn't bet against Arteta playing for a point given the Gunners' recent schedule and their notable absentees, but taming Man City again, even with this great defence will be a tall order. Inter defended superbly on Wednesday yet they still should've conceded at least twice.
I have a bad feeling about this one, even if there's no shame in losing at the Etihad. I'm backing Guardiola to cultivate a solution or two against what's set to be a deep and compact Arsenal backline.
Prediction: Man City 2-1 Arsenal
