Arsenal and Man City both desperately trying to salvage their PL seasons

When Arsenal host Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, two wounded teams will be desperately aiming to salvage their seasons already.

It highlights just how far Arsenal have fallen over the last couple of seasons but despite Pep Guardiola's side struggling to hit their stride, they remain huge favourites to claim the three points at the Emirates.

Arsenal head into the game down in ninth position in the Premier League and on the weekend, they will come up against the angry reigning champions looking to put the record straight.

Following their 2-1 home defeat against arch rivals Manchester United, City were left languishing 14 points behind pace-setters Liverpool after just 16 games.

Their domestic hopes for the season appear over already but until they are mathematically out of the title race, the Etihad outfit - who currently sit third in the table - won't go down without a fight.

It has certainly been a notable start for both sides so far, with Arsenal and City failing to keep on par with their respective targets for the campaign. The former need top four ever so badly, while the latter go in search for their third consecutive top-flight title.

Compared to last season, both English giants have regressed in every department. City have already lost three more games compared to this stage during the 2018-19 term, while their win rate is down a huge 18 per cent.

Their goal difference is 11 worse this term, having conceded 10 goals more already and kept three less clean sheets.

The Citizens have also invited more pressure on themselves this time round, facing a massive 22 shots on target more. They're giving away better chances too, with an expected goals against of 16.64 compared to last season's 11.61 after this many games.

However, it can't be understated just how massive a blow the absence of Aymeric Laporte is to City right now. Guardiola has been without his main man in defence since the end of August after he sustained a long-term knee injury.

And the stats show just how costly Laporte's injury has been to Guardiola's star-studded outfit in the Premier League. City's win percentage is a staggering 25 per cent less without the Frenchman in the heart of their backline.

They have also conceded 0.5 goals per game more with him absent, while their points per game ratio is down 0.6.

Laporte is ambitiously eyeing a return to action in January and his comeback can't come quickly enough for Guardiola, who has had to make-do with a makeshift defence - with the ever-reliable Fernandinho sometimes asked to play out of position.

But while City have been uncharacteristically fragile in recent times, it compares nothing to Arsenal's downfall with a top four finish already perilously slipping away from them.

After an exciting summer transfer window which was full of hope, their big dreams quickly vanished and just three months into the season, it was time for Unai Emery to face the music as he was sacked amid an awful run of form.

Freddie Ljungberg was placed in charge on an interim basis but has struggled to stop the drastic slide, winning just one of his first three Premier League matches against Norwich, Brighton and West Ham.

The Gunners, who have been without Champions League football for three consecutive seasons, already sit seven points off Chelsea in fourth and on evidence, there doesn't look like much hope of making any inroads.

Arsenal look completely shot of confidence - despite a 30-minute cameo in the second-half during their 3-1 victory against West Ham - and it is clear that wholesale changes need to be made to the club.

While problems remain on the managerial front and at board level, their performances on the pitch have been overwhelmingly dire this season.

The north London outfit have a win ratio of just 31 per cent compared to 63 per cent at the same stage last season - winning five less games, drawing three more and losing twice more.

They have 12 points less already, scoring 11 goals less and conceding four goals more. Remarkably, their goal difference is exactly zero, which should send shivers down their spines.

And with tests against City, Everton, Bournemouth, Chelsea and United up until New Year's Day, the Gunners could be in a hugely dangerous situation in the Premier League.

However, if they can somehow pull a victory out the bag against City, who knows just how big an impact it could have on Arsenal for the remainder of the season.

Meanwhile for City, they will be desperate to produce an emphatic statement against the Gunners as they look to right the wrongs of previous weeks.

Sunday's encounter might not produce the confident, free-flowing football we have come to expect from both sides, but victory for either Ljungberg or Guardiola's side could prove a real catalyst ahead of the hectic festive period.