Arsenal host Manchester City today in a top-of-the-table clash in the English Premier League.
The match will not only be about the three points at stake but also about who wins the league this season.
Pep Guardiola says Manchester City will face the best Arsenal team since he has been in the Premier League.
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Guardiola is unbeaten against Arsenal in the Premier League, winning 11 of 12 fixtures – including the five most recent trips to Emirates Stadium.
Wednesday’s game is the first league meeting between the two sides this season. Although they did face each other in the FA Cup last month, with City winning 1-0 thanks to a second-half goal from Nathan Ake.
However, in the league Arsenal have lost just two of their first 21 fixtures so far, accruing 51 points.
Arsenal has a game in hand on Manchester City as they continue to seek a first league title in 19years.
Team news
Arsenal remains without long-term absentees Gabriel Jesus and Mohamed Elneny, while Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe lack match fitness.
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Manager Mikel Arteta could name the same team in a seventh consecutive league match.
Manchester City will continue to assess injury doubt Erling Haaland, boss Pep Guardiola has said.
The striker was withdrawn at half-time on Sunday following a collision with Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez.
Defender John Stones is still out with a thigh problem.
Head-to-head
Arsenal have lost 10 consecutive Premier League games against Manchester City, their longest losing run against one opponent in their league history.
Manchester City have won their past six away matches against Arsenal in all competitions, as many as they had in their previous 61 visits to the Emirates and Highbury combined.
No team has ever won seven consecutive away fixtures against the Gunners.
Arsenal
Arsenal have failed to win consecutive Premier League games for the first time this season.
However, the Gunners are unbeaten in their past 13 top-flight home fixtures, winning 11 of those matches.
They have lost their past eight Premier League games against reigning champions, conceding at least two goals on each occasion.
The last time the Gunners beat the current top-flight champions was in a 1-0 victory over Leicester in April 2017.
Each of the last three league goals Arsenal have conceded has been headers – none of the first 15 they let in this season were headers.
City is the only side Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has failed to beat as a Premier League manager – he has lost all five meetings with City in the competition, with his team scoring just one goal and conceding 12.
Manchester City
Manchester City has dropped 13 away points this season (W5, D2, L3), compared to 11 in total last term.
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City has won each of their past 22 Premier League games on a Wednesday, the longest winning run on a specific day of the week in the competition’s history.
Pep Guardiola’s team is at risk of losing three consecutive away league fixtures for the first time since July 2020.
