Manchester City vs Arsenal Preview

Manchester City will look to continue their perfect start to the season when they welcome Arsenal to the Etihad Stadium this Sunday.

After storming to the title last season, the Cityzens have continued their dominance of the league this campaign, winning all four of their league games—the only side with a 100% record. Norwegian forward Erling Haaland has been at the forefront of those wins, scoring nine goals in those games, including back-to-back hat tricks.

He will hope to fire his side past Arsenal on Sunday after failing to inspire them to a win when both sides met in this fixture last season. In any case, the goalless draw between both sides forms part of City’s 32-game unbeaten home league run (W26, D6) and also made it nine home games without defeat in this fixture (W7, D2).

Winning will require them to perform better than they did in midweek when they drew 0-0 with Inter Milan in Champions League action. But City boss Pep Guardiola has had the upper hand against his former assistant manager, Mikel Arteta, winning seven of nine Premier League duels to date (W7, D1, L1). He’s won more managerial games against Arsenal (20) than against any other club.

Like City, Arsenal also recorded a goalless draw in the Champions League in mid-week, with the Gunners failing to score against Europa League defending champions Atalanta.

Domestically, they already trail City by two points after four games (W3, D1) and so Mikel Arteta’s side will be acutely aware that if that gap stretches to five here, overthrowing the Manchester City juggernaut becomes difficult for a side that hasn’t won a Premier League title since 2003/04.

While the three points that will see them leapfrog City is the ultimate goal, there’s a chance for history here for Arsenal who incredibly haven’t trailed in their last eleven away league games (W10, D1). No side in Premier League history has ever achieved that feat in 12 successive games but the Gunners’ record of nine clean sheets in their last ten away league games suggests that they could break that record on Sunday.

Other fixtures taking place this week in the Premier League Fixtures:

Premier League Table