WHO: Arsenal vs Manchester City
Contents: English Premier League
Location: Emirates Stadium, London, UK
When: Sunday, September 21st, 4:30pm (15:30 GMT)
How to Follow: Before the live text commentary stream, there is all accumulation at Al Jazeera Sport from 1:30 PM (12:30 GMT).
Manchester City is about to end the challenging week when they visit the Arsenal side in hopes of some of the injured stars returning to Match Fitness.
City abdicated as Liverpool’s champion last season, winning four consecutive titles, and Gunner finished second in the Premier League for the third consecutive year.
Al Jazeera Sport will be looking at another early season title showdown on the English top flight.
How is Man City shaped in the Premier League this season?
After a difficult start to the season, City (2-2-0, 6 points) returned in impressive form from the international window in September.
Last weekend, Ehringhaaland’s braces won the city 3-0 after defeating Manchester United 3-0, stopping their two-match Premier League streak.
Then on Thursday night, Haaland and Jeremy Doc won 2-0 after halftime to rule Serie a Champions Napoli to launch the UEFA Champions League campaign.
City are nine points behind leader Liverpool, who defeated Everton on Saturday, as manager Pep Guardiola’s reworked team has begun bids to win another league title.
However, Guardiola places the most important thing at this point in the development of his entire team, not the outcome from match-by-match results.
“I see the team growing and that’s my only concern right now and I’m taking a step forward,” he said Friday. “We don’t intend to win the Premier League on Sunday and we won’t lose the Premier League on Sunday.”
Man City points out Arsenal’s investment-driven irony
Guardiola suggests that Arsenal’s spending is not bound by the same level of scrutiny.
Arteta’s Arsenal side was supported by tight season spending of over £250 million ($337.3 million), while Champions Liverpool spent more than 400 million ($538.6 million), including 100 million ($134.7m) on Florians’ Warts and Alexander Isaac each.
“I want to tell my friend Mikel Arteta, if he wins the title, it’s not because he worked hard, but because he spent money, because he worked for his players,” Guardiola said, tongue at the cheek of a former city assistant coach.
“It’s like Liverpool. If Arne (slot) wins again, that’s because he spent a lot of money.
“For years, every club can do what they like. Do you know? You know how they’re treated is completely different (from the city), but what they want to spend is because they want it and it’s okay.”
City spent about £150 million ($222 million) over the season’s transfer period, adding to the 180 million ($242.4 million) invested in January.
What happened in the corresponding Arsenalman City conflict last season?
The city was hit by a 5-1 defeat in the Emirates last season, and Guardiola said his team faced a tough challenge on Sunday against the Arsenal side, which was bolstered by signing for the near season of Ebebeki Eze, Victor Gyoker and Martin Zubimendi.
“They spent what they believed they could do to compete with the best teams in the Premier League and Europe. They reached that level,” Guardiola said.
“(Arteta) finds clubs in (specific) ways, and with each step-by-step window, Arsenal is getting better.
“Last season, in Europe, they made an incredible progress. They are my most solid team,” he added, noting that Arsenal will reach the Champions League semi-finals.
How is Arsenal formed in this Premier League?
Arsenal’s only loss so far came at Liverpool at the end of August in a strictly contested 1-0 reverse determined by a great late free kick from Dominique Sobosrai.
That is the only goal that Mikel Arteta’s gunner (3-1-0, 9 points) has recognized this season. They recovered from their defeat last weekend with a 3-0 home victory against Nottingham Forest in the league and a 2-0 Champions League victory at the Athletic Club in Bilbao, Spain on Tuesday.
Arsenal is trying to keep their cool for a visit to Man City
Arteta hopes Arsenal will learn that their title rivals will clash for the first time in this campaign from Miles Lewis Skelly’s provocative celebration against Manchester City last season.
Arsenal defender Louis Skelly chuckled urban striker Haaland by copying his zen goal celebrations after scoring in a 5-1 defeat at Guardiola in February.
The rivalry between the clubs is increasingly being criticized as Arsenal is lacking in title fights with City in 2023 and 2024.
Haaland had untold Arsenal boss Arteta by urging him to “stay humble” following a stormy 2-2 draw at Etihad Stadium earlier last season.
Lewis Skelly, a teenager who has not started an Arsenal game this season, has been criticized for his inflammatory celebration.
Before Sunday’s showdown, when asked if he had told his players about the celebration of their goals, Arteta told reporters:
“In the past, there have been many celebrations and non-celebrations from many teams. Experience is learning and growing, and we certainly learned from that.”
Arsenal team news
Forward Bukayo Saka, midfielder Martin Odegard and defender Ben White could all be on the weekend for gunners following recent injuries.
“So far, everything has been fixed (during training),” Arteta said of the trio. “There’s still a few things to clear. (Saturday,) we have more information on whether they’re part of the team or whether they have the opportunity to become part of the team.”
Saka, who scored 47 Premier League goals in the past four seasons, has not played since the second weekend due to hamstring issues. However, Arsenal’s reinforcements helped the team survive his absence, including striker Gyolkea, who has so far had three high league goals.
Gyokeres is expected to be available after a head collision with teammate Gabriel Magalhaes, followed by stitching for head injuries. Gabriel Jesus and Kai Herberts remain on the sidelines.
Man City Team News
The England International John Stones could return to the backline following a muscular discomfort, which kept him out of the side.
Rayan Cherki has muscle problems, but Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri are also absent.
Arsenal predicted the starting lineup
Raya; Wood, Saliba, Gabriel, Karafiori. Merino, Zubimendi, Rice. Maduke, Gyokeres, Martinelli
Manchester City predicted the starting lineup
donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Rodri, Silva, Reijnders; Foden, Haaland, Doc
Arsenal Form (all competitions)
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Manchester City Form (all competitions)
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