Manchester City vs Arsenal preview: injuries, stats, fantasy, news

Manchester City host Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday for one of the biggest games in the Premier League calendar. Mikel Arteta’s side have come close to breaking City’s grip on the league title in each of the last two seasons – they finished two points behind City last season with the title race going down to the final day and the season before that they led the league for most of the campaign but lost momentum towards the end and finished five points behind City.

The two teams could find themselves locked in another title battle this season after promising starts. Here’s everything you need to know about their clash on Sunday.

Key details:

Date: Sunday, September 22 at 4:00 p.m. BST (11:00 a.m. ET)

Place: Etihad Stadium

Arbitrator: Michel Olivier

VAR: John Brooks

How to watch:

The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK and NBC Sports in the US. You can also follow the match live with live updates from ESPN.

Team News:

Manchester City will be without defender Nathan Aké, who was injured during his international match with the Netherlands. Rodri, who made his first appearance of the season as a substitute in the Premier League win over Brentford, could return to the starting XI.

Kevin De Bruyne is a doubt for City after the Belgium international was forced off at half-time in City’s Champions League clash with Inter on Wednesday.

“The doctors told me he was not fit to play, but I thought about changing my kit at half-time anyway,” Guardiola said of his injury after the match.

Arsenal will be without Martin Ødegaard, with Arteta confirming on Wednesday that the midfielder would be out “for some time” with a serious ankle injury. Like Ødegaard, Riccardo Calafiori also missed Arsenal’s win over Tottenham through injury, but the Italy international was fit to come on in the team’s Champions League draw at Atalanta on Thursday.

There is some good news for Arsenal, however. Declan Rice will be available for the trip to Manchester after serving a one-match ban for his red card against Brighton.

Fancy watch:

In July, Erling Haaland was announced as the most expensive player in Fantasy Premier League history after being valued at £15 million. Somehow, that figure has since been deemed too cheap. The striker’s superb start to the season, which has seen him score nine goals in four games – including two hat-tricks – has seen his price tag rise to £15.2 million.

It is worth noting, however, that last season he failed to score twice against an Arsenal backline that boasted the best defensive record in the league.

Choosing a captain other than Haaland this week could prove fruitful and provide a key differential. But it is a high-risk, high-reward strategy.

Statistics:

– Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League games, while Man City are unbeaten in their last 27 league games – the longest run of any team since Liverpool in 2020.

-City have enjoyed an average possession rate of 61.9% this season, the second highest in the league, compared to Arsenal’s 46.8% (11th).

– The last time City beat Arsenal in all competitions was in April 2023, with a convincing 4-1 scoreline. However, in their three meetings since then, Arsenal have won twice, including a Community Shield victory on penalties. The other game ended in a draw.

– Arsenal have conceded a league record 30 goals since the start of last season, including 21 clean sheets.

– Arsenal are unbeaten in 12 games against opponents from the ‘Big 6’ in the Premier League. City’s run is 10 games.

Statistics provided by ESPN Statistics and Insights Group.

Form guide:

Manchester City – WWW

City have picked up where they left off last season. Their winning start to the season has extended their unbeaten league record to 27 games. After a comfortable away win against Chelsea on the opening day of the season, City secured victories against Ipswich Town and West Ham thanks to successive hat-tricks from Haaland. The 24-year-old scored twice against Brentford last weekend, earning City a 2-1 comeback after conceding a goal inside 22 seconds.

The Italians have scored 11 goals in their first four games, without losing their rhythm. Their 0-0 draw with Inter on Wednesday was the first time they have failed to score this season.

Arsenal – WWDW

Arsenal have enjoyed a near-perfect start to the season, winning three of their first four games. They impressed in tough away games 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 was the only league goal the Red Devils have conceded this season.

The north London side’s rise up the table in recent seasons has been built on defensive solidity and the arrival of Jurriën Timber at left-back has given their defence an added aggression. While the goals have been spread across the team, Bukayo Saka has been the man in attack, scoring once and providing four assists this season.

Quotes:

Guardiola on De Bruyne’s injury:

“He feels a little better today (Friday)… Tomorrow we train and we’ll 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 in the last game (against Inter). He was the best player in the league last season and can fight with the other midfielders. Unfortunately, he wasn’t calmer in the end, but his intensity, his pressing and his movement in small spaces make him one of the best in the world. That’s why we’re very happy to have him back.”

Arteta on Arsenal’s tough schedule:

“We’ve been preparing for this since pre-season. We obviously knew the schedule and we know that it’s extremely rare to play in these conditions with three big trips in six days. But that’s how it was, so we prepared for it, physically, mentally and tactically. We’re making sure everyone is ready because we’re going to need them, especially with the injuries we had during the international break.”

Arteta on whether David Raya is the best goalkeeper in the world right now:

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen any other goalkeepers, but right now he’s been exceptional for us, that’s for sure.”

Arsenal midfielder Jorginho on Haaland’s form:

“Erling scores again… it’s starting to make us laugh,” Jorginho said. “We watch because we watch every game and we love the Premier League.”

“We also look at (City), which is normal. It doesn’t go to our heads. We have to focus on ourselves and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Battle of the Key Players: Erling Haaland vs. William Saliba

The duel between the championship’s star striker and one of its best defenders is one of the central axes of Sunday’s match.

William Saliba and his central defender partner Gabriel Magalhães failed to allow Haaland to attempt a single shot in their two meetings last season. However, repeating that feat on Sunday could prove a tall order for Saliba given Haaland’s superb start to the season.

Key questions:

Can Arsenal break the Etihad curse?

Arsenal’s last win at the Etihad Stadium was in January 2015. To 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 key to that rise. They are unbeaten away from home in 2024 – an 11-game run that has seen them win twice at Tottenham and Manchester United.

Arsenal came close to making a breakthrough at the Etihad Stadium last April, with a 0-0 draw marking the first time in eight years they had avoided defeat at the venue. Arteta will be hoping they can go one better on Sunday.

What impact will this match have on the title race?

It might seem premature to look at a team’s fifth game of the season and predict that it could have a real influence on the Premier League title, but that could be the case here.

Under Pep Guardiola, City have won six league titles, three of them by two points or less. Liverpool, who finished within a point in 2018-19 and 2021-22, have failed to beat City in each of those seasons. Arsenal fared better in the third meeting, beating City in their first meeting last season before meeting at the Etihad for the return leg.

At the end of the season, this game could be remembered as a six-point contest between two teams chasing the Premier League title.