2 Manchester City vs 2 Arsenal
Manchester City face Arsenal in Super Sunday's top-of-the-table blockbuster.
Manchester City and Arsenal face off in a highly anticipated top-of-the-table clash at the Etihad this Sunday, with both teams seeking crucial points in what could be an early indicator for the Premier League title race.
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 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 said on the wider record, which leaves City unbeaten at home since November 2022. 'The contenders from Liverpool and Arsenal in the last few years, they 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 Super 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.
Team form
Showing the latest five games—giving you a quick look at recent performance trends. Teams in good form tend to do well in the next match.
Team Comparison
Side-by-side assessment of team statistics, including goals, attacks, and more. This allows you to directly compare key performance metrics. Analyzing these stats can reveal patterns and strengths that might influence the outcome.