Arsenal vs. Manchester City will see the Gunners at their most vulnerable since both teams started going neck and neck for the Premier League title last season.
The Gunners are dealing with many injuries and fitness issues in their squad, and Mikel Arteta is stretched thin. The lack of adequate staffing in all positions on the pitch was evident against Bournemouth for Arsenal. The Spanish manager will be even more worried with Manchester City on the horizon.
A loss to his former boss, Pep Guardiola, will not be seen as a big issue due to the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager being the undisputed best coach in the world. However, it will cause worry for Arteta, who has failed in all his attempts to get the better of Guardiola.
This time around, he could have his thin squad to blame. However, it will not just be a normal loss. It will be a loss that could significantly affect their chances of finishing in the top four at the end of the 2023/24 Premier League season.
Arsenal’s incredible run inspired so many in the league that the title race is now more diverse than ever. Brighton & Hove Albion and Aston Villa have joined the race this season, while Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have put their houses in order after both teams’ disasters last season.
The race looks more even with these teams who make up the top six. There is also the threat of a resurgent West Ham United, buoyed by their European success from last term. Despite faltering at the start of their campaign, Newcastle United is not counted out either.
However, one thing Arsenal have got going for them this season is their renewed grit not to lose games without a fight. Going into matchday seven of the 2023/24 Premier League season, Arsenal was one of 10 teams in Europe across various league tiers to be unbeaten in all competitions. Manchester City will be traveling to North London to try and put that grit to the test, especially after the Gunners beat them to the Community Shield just before the start of the season.
The game promises to be interesting and very different from their clashes in the 2022/23 season. Read on for match ticket information, team news, and our prediction on the game’s outcome.
Match Tickets
Arsenal vs. Manchester City will be played on Sunday, 8 October 2023, at 4:30 P.M. in front of a teeming Emirates crowd in North London.
The 60,704-capacity stadium is expected to be chock-full of screaming fans thanks to the brewing rivalry between both teams. Match-going fans will be able to purchase Arsenal vs Manchester City tickets in a few days when the tickets go up on both clubs’ websites. Only attentive fans can purchase tickets via these channels, which are expected to be sold out within a few hours of going live.
Ticket reselling platforms like Seatsnet.com will be the next best option for match-going fans to purchase Arsenal or Manchester City tickets. Tickets could get more expensive as the game draws near, so attentive fans will again be the biggest beneficiaries.
Fans in and around the UK can catch the game on Sky Sports. The game will be available on television and streaming for fans who subscribe to the broadcaster.
Fans who enjoy streaming can also download the Discovery+ or Paramount+ apps to watch the game.
On the Discover+ app, fans must subscribe to TNT Sports, formerly BT Sports, for the game. On the Paramount+ app, a CBS Sports Golazo subscription will grant fans access to the game live.
Team news
Declan Rice had a back injury in the North London derby, where Arsenal could only pick up a point. The English-record signing played only the first 45 minutes of that game before being taken off, but Arteta is confident that the player’s issue is not serious. He will not be rushed back into the game but depending on his fitness level, the Spanish manager may take the risk of starting him against City. Bukayo Saka also left the North London derby with a knock but with the 22-year-old’s rapid recovery rate, he could be fit as a fiddle for the Manchester City clash. Arteta is also sweating over the fitness of Gabriel Martinelli, who was initially scheduled to return to the pitch two weeks ago. It is still being determined if he will be fit to start against Manchester City.
On the other hand, the Premier League defending champions will be without Kevin De Bruyne for the clash, a fact that Arsenal fans will appreciate greatly. The Belgian midfielder has made it a point to always contribute towards goals against Arsenal every season regardless of his overall form. De Bruyne’s absence will be a breath of fresh air for Arsenal. Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva, and John Stones will be back in time for the match, which will please Guardiola. Handing them will be a different issue, thanks to the Spaniard’s penchant for crazy squad rotations.
Lineups
Arsenal will start Rice if the medical reports are positive because it is their biggest game of the season. The same goes for Martinelli. Gabriel Jesus will occupy the number 9 spot in the game as Arteta still considers him the first-choice forward ahead of Eddie Nketiah despite what the team sheets have shown in recent games.
Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Ødegaard, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri will miss the clash after getting a straight red card in their matchday six win over Nottingham Forest. He will return to the City squad in late October as the international break begins with the final whistle of Arsenal vs. Manchester City. With De Bruyne out of the game and squad until 2024, Bernardo Silva, Guardiola’s second most trusted lieutenant in the squad, will return to the starting lineup, especially with Rodri’s absence. Stones could hold down the fort without Rodri in a lineup that will not be lacking technical and star power.
Manchester City: Ederson; Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Walker, Kovacic, Stones, Silva, Grealish; Alvarez, Haaland.
Prediction
The last time Arsenal defeated Manchester City in the Premier League was in 2015, before Pep Guardiola. Since that loss, the Gunners have only triumphed three times, with all three wins coming in the FA Cup and FA Community Shield. That is three wins from 21 games in all competitions. Arteta has the chance to make history in their 2023/24 Premier League season matchday 8 clash. As has become typical of Arsenal vs. Manchester City matches, both sides will look to outplay each other in possession football. Both teams are not significantly separated by possession, shot, and passing stats. Still, the slightly better players on the City team and the tactical superiority of Guardiola have made it such that Arteta’s team have struggled. The same outcome is expected from this clash at the Emirates: both teams looking almost equal on the ball and off it, but City coming out top after creating higher quality chances.
Arsenal 1 – 2 Manchester City.