Manchester City face Arsenal in Super Sunday's top-of-the-table blockbuster.

2024-09-17

Prepare for a pivotal Premier League clash on Sunday, as Manchester City, eager to maintain their home dominance, take on an Arsenal side ready to challenge the reigning champions in a top-of-the-table showdown at the Etihad.

Manchester City

League leaders Manchester City failed to earn a win in their opening fixture against Inter Milan in the league phase of the revamped edition of the UEFA Champions League. Despite several clear-cut chances on both sides, neither the current champions nor the Italian champions could find a way through, in what was a repeat of the 2023 UCL final.

Sunday’s highly anticipated top-of-the-table clash against Arsenal will provide another window of opportunity to return to winning ways. Especially with City remaining unbeaten in their last nine home games in the Premier League against Arsenal, having secured seven wins and two draws since a 2-0 defeat in 2015.

‘It's a good record, of course. To win four in a row, you have to make incredible results home and away,’ Pep Guardiola said about City's record, which shows their unbeaten home streak since November 2022. ‘The contenders from Liverpool and Arsenal in the last few years had above 90 points. So, we had to get a lot of points at home; in the bad moments, find ways to win games,’ he added.

A victory against the Gunners will see City become the first English team to win five opening games in five different campaigns. A 3—4—2—1 formation with Erling Haaland in attack is expected for this fixture.

Kevin De Bruyne was forced off at halftime in the midweek clash against Inter but could feature for Sunday's clash against Arsenal. ‘He feels a little bit better today, but we'll see tomorrow,’ said Guardiola. ‘He could be involved,’ he added.

Arsenal

A double save in the same sequence of play from goalkeeper David Raya helped Arsenal avoid defeat in their UCL opener against Atalanta, after Mateo Retegui saw two efforts from the penalty spot thwarted. The goalless draw left Arsenal with a point in the league phase of the competition’s new format.

This weekend’s showdown with Manchester City, though coming early, could eventually become decisive in the Premier League title race. "We have been preparing for this week since pre-season," Arteta said ahead of Sunday’s trip to Manchester.

"We knew the schedule, we knew it's extremely rare to play away from home three times in six days, but it is what it is," he added. The Gunners, who kept a clean sheet in the last two games against City, earned four points in the Premier League against the hosts last season, twice as many as they had picked up in 15 previous games against the current four-time champions [0W, 2D, 13L].

A 4—3—3 formation with Saka, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Martinelli in attack is anticipated against the Sky Blues.