An Early Battle for the PL Title

These two teams have been the best the English PL has had to offer over recent seasons, with Manchester City dominating and Arsenal being their nearest challengers. This early season meeting between the two might not have the same meaning as a clash late in the season but it could still be pivotal when calculating the eventual league winner.

The match will take place at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester at 16.30 local time on Sunday, the final league match of the weekend. 

Current Form

Manchester City currently have a perfect record at the top of the league table with 12 points from their opening four matches, meaning that they have once again established themselves as the team to beat. Their consistency under Pep Guardiola is quite astounding; season after season the team from the blue side of Manchester maintain their high standards, and this season looks no different. Many football experts had already tipped them to retain their title before the campaign even began, and their performances so far have only strengthened that view. Guardiola’s side have begun the season in excellent form, spearheaded by the sensational form of their star striker, who has already netted nine goals in his first four appearances this season. The powerful striker, who has taken the PL by storm since joining the Sky Blues, seems set to raise his own bar even higher, and his early goalscoring exploits have kept City’s momentum surging. Despite his incredible form, he has struggled to make his mark against Arsenal in recent meetings, having failed to find the back of the net in his last two appearances against Mikel Arteta’s side, with both performances pretty anonymous showings from him.

City Dominance

City’s dominance over the past few seasons is becoming somewhat of a concern for the rest of the league, with their consistency at the highest level unmatched in English football history, which is true even in spite of any asterisks attached to alleged forthcoming financial charges. Even in years where they have been pushed hard, particularly by Liverpool, Guardiola’s team has always found a way to maintain or improve their performance. A win over their closest rivals for the title so early in the season would be in equal parts a psychological boost for City and a physiological blow to Arsenal. Moreover, extending the gap between themselves and the Gunners to five points would place them in a commanding position, even this early in the campaign. One big loss for Manchester City is Kevin de Bruyne who limped off at half time in their CL tie on Wednesday evening. 

Arsenal were forced to play a day later, the expanded CL now being divided over three days as opposed to two. This will certainly not please manager Mikel Arteta, and he will surely join the chorus of managers who usually have this issue when playing in the EL and ECL. Arsenal, currently second in the table with 10 points, have also enjoyed a solid start to the season. Mikel Arteta’s side finished runners-up to City last year, and after bolstering their squad in the summer, they look primed to be City’s closest challenger for a third season running. The Gunners have been efficient in their early matches, and their ability to pick up points in difficult circumstances has been impressive. However, the challenge of keeping pace with Manchester City is a monumental one, and Arteta’s side will know that even minor slip-ups can be costly. Despite their strong start, there is already a sense of pressure building around Arsenal heading into this fixture with key players out injured. It might only be September, but the standards required to dethrone Manchester City as champions are so high that even a two point gap feels significant. If City were to win this weekend, that gap would grow to five points, potentially leaving Arsenal with a big chunk of ground to eat up and very little margin for error later on in the season. Given the relentless nature of City’s form in recent years, there is prior evidence to show that falling behind in the title race this early could be damaging for the Gunners’ long-term ambitions given how undeterred City can be when defending a lead at the top of the table.

Final Thoughts

Last season, Arsenal performed well against City, taking four points from the two league meetings. This represents a notable shift in the psychological dynamic between the two sides, with Arsenal seemingly overcoming the mental block that often plagued them in previous meetings with Guardiola’s side, games that have historically not gone well. Arsenal are arguably the best out of possession team in the league, with their pressing game and defensive organisation among the most effective in the division. This strength was on full display in their visit to the Etihad last season, where they managed to secure a hard fought 0-0 draw. From the perspective of raw entertainment the game was very forgettable, with the centre of the pitch so congested that neither side could fashion any moments of quality. Whether this match will follow a similar pattern remains to be seen, but given the stakes, both sides might again be satisfied with a point, particularly at this stage of the campaign. Arsenal’s inspirational captain will be missing having sustained an injury on International duty, so he will be a key loss. Declan Rice will return though, having missed the game against Tottenham due to suspension. 

Manchester City are currently at 1.80 to win, whereas Arsenal to win is at 4.50. Furthermore, the home team have won seven of the last ten meetings with Arsenal managing two wins and a draw.

Last updated: 20.09.24