Man City Vs. Arsenal: Team News, Possible XI & More
Team news
Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne could be involved despite being forced off at half-time against Inter Milan on Wednesday.
Nathan Ake and Oscar Bobb remain on the sidelines.
Arsenal welcome back Declan Rice to Premier League football after he missed the win over Tottenham last weekend due to suspension.
Midfielders Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino are still out, along with defenders Kieran Tierney, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Match facts
Head-to-head
- Manchester City are unbeaten in nine home league games against Arsenal since a 2-0 defeat in January 2015 (W7, D2).
- The four points Arsenal won against City last season was double the amount they managed across their previous 15 top-flight meetings.
- The Gunners kept a clean sheet in both league encounters with City last season, having conceded at least once in their previous 16 clashes.
- Arsenal’s only goal in their last six visits to the Etihad was scored by Rob Holding in a 4-1 defeat in April 2023.
- Arsenal have won 99 of the 211 meetings in all competitions (D47, L65). In their history they have only recorded 100 wins against Everton, while it is the most defeats City have suffered against an opponent.
Manchester City
- Manchester City are looking to become the first team in English top-flight history to win their opening five league matches in five seasons.
- City have won 13 consecutive top-flight games since a 0-0 home draw against Arsenal on 31 March.
- They are on a club record run of 47 successive home matches unbeaten in all competitions since a 2-1 defeat against Brentford in November 2022.
- Pep Guardiola has only won more fixtures as Manchester City manager against Burnley (17) than he has versus Arsenal (16).
- City have equalled their longest run of consecutive Premier League home matches without a clean sheet under Guardiola of six.
- Erling Haaland’s tally of nine goals in the opening four league games this season is the most by a top-flight player since 1951-52 when Jack Rowley also scored nine in four for Manchester United.
- The fewest appearances any player has taken to reach double figures in a Premier League campaign is six, by Mick Quinn in 1992-93 and Haaland himself in 2022-23.
- Haaland is aiming to become only the second player after Luis Suarez in December 2013 to score multiple goals in four consecutive Premier League appearances.
- He has scored more Premier League goals this season than any of the other 19 top-flight clubs.
Arsenal
- Arsenal have won six consecutive Premier League away games since drawing 0-0 at Manchester City on 31 March.
- The Gunners could become the first side in Premier League history to go 12 successive matches without trailing in an away match.
- They have kept a clean sheet in nine of their past 10 away league fixtures.
- However, Arsenal have only won three of their 29 Premier League away matches against the reigning champions.
- Since the start of last season, Mikel Arteta’s side have scored an unrivalled 24 top-flight goals from set pieces, excluding penalties.
- Arteta has lost nine competitive matches as a manager against City, three more than he has versus any other opponent.
- He is aiming to become only the second coach after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United to keep three consecutive top-flight clean sheets against a team managed by Pep Guardiola.
- Bukayo Saka could become only the second player after Thierry Henry in 2004-05 to provide an assist in each of a team’s first five Premier League matches to a season.
PREDICTED LINE UP
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
