A battle of the behemoths headlines this weekend's Premier League action, as last season's top two - Manchester City and Arsenal - scrap it out in an Etihad extravaganza.
Both titans return to domestic duty on the back of goalless draws versus Italian opposition in the Champions League, as the Citizens were held by Inter Milan, while the Gunners needed more David Raya heroics to nab a point off of Atalanta BC.
Match preview
© Imago
A little over 12 months ago, the irrepressible Rodri broke the Nerazzurri's resistance to propel Man City to their long-awaited slice of Champions League glory, but the omnipotent fulcrum and the hitherto unstoppable Erling Haaland had no answer to Inter's defensive might in midweek.
Indeed, Man City's latest quest for European supremacy kicked off with a goalless affair against their 2023 final opponents, who also benefitted from the Premier League champions' profligacy - particularly in the air, with Ilkay Gundogan guilty of spurning a brilliant headed opportunity.
That stalemate with Simone Inzaghi's men brought a swift end to the hosts' perfect start to proceedings in 2024-25, but their 100% Premier League record remains intact thanks to their latest Erling Haaland-inspired comeback against Brentford last weekend.
Moving onto an astonishing nine goals for the season with just four games done and dusted - breaking the previous record held by Wayne Rooney - Haaland, who rejected an offer of compassionate leave after the death of a close family friend, replied to Yoane Wissa's early opener in classic Haaland fashion to keep City two points clear at the summit.
The Citizens' winning sequence in the top flight now stands at a striking 13 matches - unlucky for some - and they could now become the first team in English football history to win each of their first five games of the season in five separate campaigns, but there are no prizes for guessing who they last dropped points against.
© Imago
Twenty-four hours after Man City were held goalless by an Italian team sporting black and blue, Arsenal shared the exact same fate as their Premier League title nemesis, although Mikel Arteta's men once again found themselves in debt to Raya and his astounding athleticism.
Guessing correctly to keep out Mateo Retegui's penalty was one thing, but the ex-Brentford man managed to quickly spring back into action and claw the Italian's headed rebound off the line, as the Gunners left Bergamo with a respectable Champions League point in the bag.
Both Arteta and Robbie Savage gushed over one of the "best saves" they had ever seen at the Gewiss Stadium, and Arsenal's point against a team that tore Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen to shreds should not be sniffed at, but Arteta's Martin Odegaard-less men never really looked like scoring themselves.
The same was true at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, until the latest Nicolas Jover set-piece special ended with Gabriel Magalhaes earning Arsenal the North London derby bragging rights, keeping them second in the standings before results on Saturday pushed them down to fifth.
Displaying a particular fondness for gritty away displays in recent times, Arsenal could now make Premier League history on their travels by becoming the first side not to fall behind in 12 successive road matches in the competition, having not trailed in any of their last 11 away from home.
Arteta's team produced a quintessentially dogged display to hold Man City goalless at the Etihad in Easter, prior to which a deflected Gabriel Martinelli winner lifted their Citizens curse in a 1-0 Emirates victory, but not since January 2015 under Arsene Wenger have the Gunners left the Etihad as the victors.
- W
- W
- W
- W
- W
- W
- D
- W
- W
- W
- D
- W
- D
Team News
© Imago
In a cruel twist of fate for both managers, Man City and Arsenal are set to be without their chief creators for Sunday's blockbuster, as the hosts will reportedly take no risks over Kevin De Bruyne after his groin injury in the Champions League.
Guardiola refused to rule De Bruyne out of the match in his pre-game press conference, but the City boss was never likely to give a definitive answer either way, a trait that Arteta has evidently picked up from him.
De Bruyne is not expected to be out for a lengthy period of time, but Guardiola is not prepared to throw caution to the wind while he has a fit-again Phil Foden waiting in the wings; the 24-year-old should now make his first start of the season in De Bruyne's absence.
Nathan Ake (thigh) and Oscar Bobb (leg) are both keeping the Belgian playmaker company in the treatment room, and Foden may be one of two Englishman recalled to the XI, as Kyle Walker could be tasked with keeping Arsenal's left-winger - whoever that may be - quiet.
Both De Bruyne and Arsenal skipper Odegaard will be watching on helplessly this weekend, as Arteta finally confirmed the worst-kept secret that the Scandinavian would be out for "a while" with his ankle problem before the Atalanta draw.
Odegaard joins Mikel Merino (shoulder), Oleksandr Zinchenko (calf), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) and Kieran Tierney (hamstring) in the Arsenal medical bay, but Riccardo Calafiori and Bukayo Saka both overcame knocks to feature against Atalanta, where Declan Rice also returned from his ban.
Neither Gabriel Jesus nor Martinelli cut the mustard up front in midweek, offering ex-City man Raheem Sterling hope of making his maiden Arsenal start at his former stomping ground, but Leandro Trossard is seemingly still higher in the pecking order for now and should keep the Englishman waiting in reserve.
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Walker, Dias, Akanji, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Rodri; Savinho, Silva, Foden; Haaland
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Havertz, Partey, Rice; Saka, Jesus, Trossard
We say: Manchester City 0-0 Arsenal
Based off both teams' toothless midweek performances, the absences of De Bruyne and Odegaard and the uneventful pair of meetings between them last season, some fans could be forgiven for resigning themselves to a dull watch in Sunday's main event.
Unfortunately, we can envisage that exact scenario playing out once again at the Etihad. Haaland may be on fire domestically, but Arsenal's back five is arguably one of the best on the planet right now, so another 0-0 seems inevitable.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
