Manchester City Vs Arsenal Premier League Football Match 2023
Manchester City won the Premier League title yet again last season and have been in exceptional form under Pep Guardiola. The Cityzens slumped to a narrow 2-1 defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid in a friendly match last week and will need to bounce back in this match. Arsenal, on the other hand, finished in second place in the league table last season and have shown marked improvement under Mikel Arteta. The Gunners defeated AS Monaco on penalties in the Emirates Cup in their previous game and will need to be at their best to stand a chance this weekend.
Arsenal have an impressive historical record against Manchester City and have won 98 out of the 208 matches played between the two teams, as opposed to Arsenal’s 65 victories.Manchester City have scored all six of their home games against Arsenal under Pep Guardiola in the Premier League and have scored 21 goals in these matches.Arsenal have scored only four goals in their last 11 Premier League matches against Manchester City and have failed to find the back of the net in seven of these games.Arsenal have lost their last 12 games against Manchester City in the Premier League – their longest such streak against a single opponent in the competition.Manchester City have won each of their last seven matches against Arsenal in all competitions, with their previous defeat against the Gunners coming in an FA Cup game in 2020.
Arsenal’s recent woes mean the Premier League title is in City’s hands heading into Wednesday’s bout at the Etihad, and it feels like the Gunners have got to win in Manchester to have any chance of lifting their first league title in 20 years. Arsenal’s current advantage is five points after they rescued a point against the lowly Southampton on Friday night, but the back-to-back champions have played two games fewer and they barely had to break a sweat in their FA Cup semi-final on Saturday. While Mikel Arteta’s side have hit a bump in the road, Pep Guardiola’s Citizens are purring. Their last defeat came at Tottenham on 5 February.
City’s imperious run has once again rendered them favourites for the title, but Arsenal will reignite their challenge and some if they secure their first win at the Etihad in eight years on Wednesday night.
Arsenal perhaps don’t have as much to lose as they once did heading into this fixture, and that could work in their favour. While their build-up has been hampered by Saliba’s injury, there’s no doubt that the Gunners have the capacity to punish Guardiola’s side.
The Citizens will give them chances in transition, and Ake’s absence could be huge. Laporte certainly isn’t as adept at defending one-vs-one or open spaces compared to the Dutch international, and Saka could be in for a big game as a result. However, City’s experience counts for plenty in contests like this and their current form suggests it’ll take a monumental effort from the visitors to walk away with all three points. I think the Gunners could hurt the hosts on Wednesday, but it’ll be Guardiola’s men that ultimately claim victory. I don’t see how a side that has just conceded six goals against West Ham and Southampton could possibly slow down this sky blue juggernaut.
Manchester City have been in brilliant form in recent months and made history by winning the treble last season. Erling Haaland has been virtually unstoppable over the past year and will look to start the new season on a positive note this weekend. Arsenal have grown into a formidable force under Mikel Arteta but have struggled against the Cityzens in their recent meetings. Manchester City are the better team at the moment and should be able to win this game. Manchester City won the treble last season so will contend Sunday’s Community Shield against last season’s Premier League runners-up Arsenal (10:50 a.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+). But after a summer of upheaval, transfers and tours on foreign soil, how will each side match up? And does it mean anything before the season starts on Aug. 11?
Dawson: For the first time in a while there are questions about the Manchester City squad. Mateo Kovacic has come in but Ilkay Gundogan has left for Barcelona and Riyad Mahrez has moved to Saudi Arabia. There are also doubts about the futures of Bernardo Silva, Kyle Walker, Joao Cancelo and Kalvin Phillips. Pep Guardiola’s mantra has usually been that he won’t keep players who are unhappy, but he can’t afford a mass exodus this summer. A £77.6 million ($98m) deal for RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol is dragging on, and if it doesn’t get done, you could argue that City will be weaker this season than last.
Arsenal have attempted to maintain the momentum of last season’s unexpected Premier League title challenge by spending around £200m on three major summer signings — midfielder Declan Rice (£100m), defender Jurrien Timber (£40m) and forward Kai Havertz (£67.5m), all of whom were acquired early enough to take full part in the club’s preseason tour of the United States. Although the Gunners still have work to do in the market — not least in trimming the squad — the club made a point of trying to do their business early in an effort to try to kick on in 2023-24. They impressed in victories over the MLS All-Stars and Barcelona, and although a defeat to Manchester United came in between, there is a sense of optimism that Arsenal can meet heightened expectations in the months ahead.
