EPL: Arsenal vs Man City – Title rivals seek to make set early marker

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EPL: Arsenal vs Man City – Title rivals seek to make set early marker

Arsenal has already beaten Manchester City this season.

Mikel Arteta’s men came from a goal down to claim the Community Shield ahead of their Premier League rivals.

Many fans and pundits believe the win at Wembley would have given the Gunners confidence they can overhaul City this campaign.

Last season, up until April, it seemed Arsenal would win the title ahead of Pep Guardiola’s men.

They had spent over 240 days on top of the table and looked set to lift the trophy for the first time in 20 years.

But Arsenal crumbled. And City did what they do at the business end of the season.

On their way to winning the Premier League for a third consecutive time, City thrashed the Gunners 4-1 at the Etihad.

This is the first time both clubs will meet again in the league since that match.

City have defeated Arsenal in 12 successive league fixtures and Arteta’s side will be hoping to bounce back from their first defeat of the season at Lens in midweek.

They have won five and drawn two of their seven league games this season – their best unbeaten start since 2007/08.

Guardiola saw his team’s perfect start to the campaign end with a 2-1 loss at Wolves last weekend.

But the champions have not lost successive league games since December 2018 in a 3-2 home defeat against Crystal Palace, followed by a 2-1 defeat at Leicester.

While Arsenal have already hosted both Manchester United and Tottenham in the league, Manchester City have yet to face a single team that finished in the top six last season.

And they will do so without Rodri, who is serving a three-match ban.

This might be the best time for Arsenal to get one over their rivals, even with the uncertainty around Bukayo Saka’s fitness.