They were the two biggest and best teams in the English Premier League last season and could decide the outcome of the 2023/24 campaign. Arsenal led the title race for much of last season before being reeled in by Pep Guardiola’s all-stars in the closing weeks. They may have left it late, but City passed the Gunners to retain the league trophy before also adding the FA Cup and Champions League to make it a treble. There was no denying Pep’s men were the cream of the crop in England and Europe last season.
Having suffered the agony of a near-miss, Arsenal planned to bounce back bigger and stronger. After holding several rounds of honest conversations in pre-season, Mikel Arteta’s team knew they only had themselves to blame for finishing second. They had the league in their hands but let it slip through their fingers in the final third of the season, and City didn’t need a second invitation.
Arsenal began this season determined to go one better than the previous campaign and finally win back the PL trophy. A host of big name signings were made by Arteta to strengthen his squad- notably Declan Rice (who was also a City target), Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber.
While Timber unfortunately got injured after a promising start to the season and Havertz has struggled to fit in, Rice has made a difference- he played a pivotal role in the Gunners beating both Manchester clubs.
Strong start for both
Sunday 8th October was the first meeting of Arsenal and Man City this season, and the Gunners faithful had marked that as an important date in their diary. Fans wanted to see Arsenal holding their own in the table- wanted them to go one step better than last season and lay down a marker against the defending champions. For many though, that was unlikely, with critics suggesting Arsenal would struggle to even replicate last season’s success. The doubters couldn’t have been any further from the truth.
When Arsenal welcomed the champions to the Emirates, it was set up for a classic encounter. Arsenal had five wins and two draws from their opening seven games, while Man City boasted of six wins and one defeat. The sole City loss came against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux at the end of September. It was a surprise slip by the champions, but many pundits expected them to use the game against Arsenal to roar back to winning ways. City kicked off the game in London as favorites but failed to live up to expectations, dramatically ending up on the wrong side of a 1-0 scoreline.
Arsenal took a long overdue but thoroughly deserved three points. Arteta, formerly assistant to Guardiola at Man City, finally beat his ex-boss. Just like Arsenal had defeated Man City in the Community Shield earlier in the season, they did it for real in the league as well. A nail-biter ended in a 1-0 win for Arsenal, with Gabriel Martinelli scoring a late winner. His shot took a wicked deflection, taking it past the keeper and into the net. Cue scenes of jubilation for the Arsenal fans and some soul searching for City’s.
It was an important win for the Gunners, who came into the fixture on the back of a surprise 2-1 loss to Lens in midweek. For City, this was their third domestic defeat in a row, following previous reverses against Newcastle in the League Cup and Wolves at Molineux. It also underscored the importance of Spanish midfielder Rodri to Pep Guardiola’s side- he was absent for all three fixtures. Despite the setback, City are still expected to defend their title, and Guardiola’s men will be keen to make a statement when they square off against Brighton this weekend.
Long overdue
Victory over the champions meant Arsenal entered the international break joint-top of the league with North London rivals Tottenham. The Gunners now boast of six wins and two draws, scoring 16 goals and conceding six, collecting 20 points. They are level with Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs and sit two points above Man City, who drop to third.
The Gunners and Citizens have now played 210 times, with Arsenal winning 99 games, Man City on 65 wins and 46 draws. Despite holding the lion’s share of success, Sunday’s win was Arsenal’s first league victory over Man City since December 2015. It has been long and painful wait for the Arsenal faithful, but one worth celebrating. Goals from Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud had given Arsenal all three points at the Etihad Stadium that day and Gunners fans will be hoping that the wait is shorter for their next win over City.
The teams met three times last season, with Man City emerging triumphant on all three occasions. The champions claimed a 1-0 victory in the FA Cup, won 3-1 at the Emirates in the league, and rounded off with a crucial 4-1 win at the Etihad. The
Sunday’s narrow 1-0 win for Arsenal over Man City was the first time both teams have failed to score in this fixture since January 2023. It was the first time City had failed to scored against Arsenal since July 2020 in the FA Cup.
Despite a nervy start, Arsenal grew into the game, as did their new goalkeeper David Raya, who achieved the rare feat of keeping the likes of Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez at bay.
City’s shot at redemption
Will Manchester City get their revenge when the teams renew rivalries in the Premier League? The champions must be patient and play the waiting game with their next PL fixture against the Gunners, which will be on Saturday, 30th March 2024. Pep’s boys will hold the home advantage for that game
The stats give Man City fans plenty of hope though, with their team beating Arsenal 4-1, 1-0, and 5-0 in their previous three meetings at the Etihad, and this next meeting could well decide the destination of the 23/24 title.