Changing the narrative: Arsenal must make statement of intent against City 

Jack Lovell analyses Arsenal vs Manchester City and Mikel Arteta vs Pep Guardiola 

Arsenal v Manchester City

Arsenal welcome Manchester City to the Emirates Stadium tomorrow for a clash that could have a major impact on this season’s Premier League title race.

The Gunners have come agonisingly close to ending their title drought in recent years, only to stumble at the decisive moments.

This fixture has often been one of those hurdles.

For Mikel Arteta, beating his former mentor Pep Guardiola has consistently proved difficult. Sunday presents another chance to change that narrative.

Arteta’s first meeting with City came in June 2020, immediately after the Covid break.

It was a night to forget. David Luiz’s costly errors gifted goals to Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne before Luiz himself was sent off. Arsenal fell to a heavy 3–0 defeat.

Just a month later, however, came one of Arteta’s earliest triumphs. In the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, Arsenal were disciplined, clinical and ruthless. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck twice to knock out City and send Arsenal to the final, which they would go on to win.

What followed was a long and painful run of poor results. In 2020–21, City did the league double without conceding a goal and also thrashed Arsenal 4–1 in the Carabao Cup.

The 2021–22 campaign brought perhaps the lowest point of the Arteta era. Arsenal were humiliated 5–0 at the Etihad in August and sat bottom of the table with no points from three games. Calls for Arteta’s dismissal were growing. The return fixture at the Emirates showed progress, though. Bukayo Saka put Arsenal ahead at half time but a Granit Xhaka penalty concession, a Gabriel red card and a stoppage-time Rodri goal condemned Arsenal to another defeat.

In 2022–23, Arsenal mounted a serious title challenge. Yet City were again the obstacle. City edged a tight contest at the Emirates before overpowering Arsenal 4–1 at the Etihad in a decisive result in the race for the crown.

The following season began with a breakthrough. In the Community Shield, Leandro Trossard’s 99th-minute equaliser forced penalties and Arsenal triumphed in the shootout.

Later that October, Gabriel Martinelli’s late strike sealed Arsenal’s first league victory over City under Arteta. The return fixture ended goalless, but City ultimately finished the season as champions once again.

The 2024–25 season served up some drama between the two.

At the Etihad in September, Arsenal turned a deficit into a lead through Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel before Trossard’s dismissal left them battling with ten men. They looked set for a famous victory until John Stones equalised in the 97th minute.

The reverse meeting in February saw both sides out of the title race, but Arsenal ran riot, with Martin Odegaard leading a 5–1 win that reminded everyone of the potential in Arteta’s squad.

With the sides meeting this weekend, the goal is clear for Arsenal.

No more mistakes. Mikel Arteta’s side must show a serious statement of intent to win this season’s Premier League title.