You can't win the Premier League title in September, but you can go a long way towards losing it.
Arsenal head into Sunday's clash with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium two points behind Pep Guardiola's champions, and if that gap were to grow to five then you'd find plenty of people lining up to claim that they wouldn't be able to overhaul that deficit over the course of the rest of the season.
Mikel Arteta returns to the Etihad Stadium without his captain Martin Odegaard, while Manchester City could also be without their creator-in-chief Kevin De Bruyne. How will their absences affect the game? We asked the Mirror Football team for their predictions.
John Cross
This title showdown not only pits the two main challengers but also the best attack against the best defence.
Erling Haaland has scored nine goals already and Manchester City are top scorers with 11. Arsenal have the best defence and that back four - Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel and Jurrien Timber (or whoever plays left back) have been so strong with David Raya behind them.
I just think despite what everyone says from an Arsenal perspective (even after the criticism of the stalemate at the Etihad last March), they would be happy with a draw because of the absence of Martin Odegaard.
He is such a key figure, leading from the front in every sense. And yes, I think he’s bigger for Arsenal than Kevin De Bruyne’s absence is for City. That is why I think City will nick it by the odd goal in a tight game of cat and mouse. Prediction: Man City 1 Arsenal 0
Felix Keith
Sorry to disappoint, but Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta are not about to serve up an end-to-end goal fest. They know each other extremely well and will be intent on ensuring their side doesn’t give anything away in what will be a crucial match come May.
Since Man City’s thumping 4-1 win in April 2023, the last three meetings in all competitions have brought just three goals and this one won’t be helped by the absence of each team’s chief creator with Martin Odegaard and Kevin De Bruyne out injured.
My best guess is that it's going to be a deadly boring 0-0 which will force us to identify ‘fascinating tactical battles’ in a desperate effort not to call it what it really is. No one really wants to see automated pressing, the midfields shuffling expertly to shut down the opposition and sterile, patient possession in non-threatening areas, but I fear that’s what we’re going to get. Prediction: Man City 0 Arsenal 0
Mike Walters
Taking four points off City wasn't enough to win the title for Arsenal last season - so they will probably need to take all six this time.
But they may not have the guile to win at the Etihad without injured skipper Martin Odegaard, the man who unpicks the lock with eye-of-the-needle passes around the box and finds angles normally only available on a geometry set.
Erling Haaland against William Saliba should have been on the Anthony Joshua-Daniel Dubois undercard, and it was a duel the Gunners' French defender won last season, but the two City-Arsenal games in 2023-24 were colossal bores and it may be chessboard tedium again.
Anyway, it's too early in the season to call this a title decider. That one is already under way - at the Premier League's commission of inquiry into those 115 charges against City. Prediction: Man City 1 Arsenal 1
Simon Mullock
I can see another not-so-super-Sunday at the Etihad when the two best teams in the Premier League lock horns this weekend.
City, despite winning their opening four games, still look like they are only slowly going up through the gears towards their best form - and only Erling Haaland's astonishing early-season goal rush has enabled them to remain the only team in England's top four divisions with a 100 percent record.
Arsenal's defensive resilience appears to have gone up another notch now that Jurrien Timber is fully fit - and with Martin Odegaard missing through injury it is likely that the Gunners will once again try to frustrate the champions rather than take them on at their own game.
This fixture ended goalless last season and even though the new campaign is only a few weeks old, neither manager will want to lose a head-to-head against their biggest rivals for the title.
An early goal may give the neutrals the kind of shoot-out they will be hoping for but otherwise I can see it being tense, tight and perhaps a touch tortuous. Prediction: Man City 0 Arsenal 0
Andy Dunn
Having played five games - four in the Premier League, one in the Champions League - and won four and drawn one, conceding only three goals in the process, it seems a strange thing to say but this Manchester City is vulnerable right now.
Aside from the hope that the Oasis kit will never, ever be seen again, if there was one significant takeaway from the game against Inter on Wednesday, it was the alarming ease with which the Italian champions created chances on the counter-attack.
With the same gameplan as Inter had, and with the same gameplan that earned them the win at Spurs, Arsenal will do likewise and will be more clinical than Simone Inzaghi’s side.
The chances of City going two games in a row without scoring are slim and none, but Arsenal will have enough threat on the break to earn a landmark win. Prediction: Man City 1 Arsenal 3
Daniel Orme
This one really is on a knife edge, it could genuinely go either way. Sure, Arsenal have not been at their swashbuckling best but with Declan Rice back, they are more than capable of stifling Man City - and potentially even nicking a goal or two on the break.
But when you’ve got Erling Haaland, you’ve always got a chance. The Norwegian powerhouse is arguably in the form of his life right now, which given his goalscoring exploits, is quite the claim. Even if Man City just get one chance against the Gunners, you’d back him to put it away.
It’s slightly too early to bill this game as a title decider but it will still be tense. A draw will not be a bad result for either side at this stage of the season, and I reckon both Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola will settle for that. Prediction: Man City 1 Arsenal 1
Dan Marsh
Arsenal beat Manchester City at home last season to underline they are a serious threat to Pep Guardiola's all-conquering side, but they couldn't get the job done in the reverse fixture.
Winning at The Etihad would hit differently, though managing such a feat is certainly easier said than done.
The good news is that the Gunners look the real deal these days. But the loss of Martin Odegaard is seismic. Man City will be without Kevin De Bruyne but their strength in depth is another level - something they proved last year when Phil Foden stepped up in the Belgian's absence to become their main man.
Then there's Erling Haaland. Nine goals in four league games is ridiculous by anyone's standards, but he's coming up against the best defensive pairing in the league in the form of Gabriel and William Saliba. Arsenal also boast arguably the most in-form keeper in the league, too, in David Raya.
Can Arsenal shut Haaland out? I'll go with yes. And I'll also back them to repeat last week's set-piece heroics on their way to a win which would have major title race ramifications. Prediction: Man City 0 Arsenal 1
Jeremy Cross
Arsenal have more to lose than City, and the pressure will be on them to get a win, which could leave them exposed at times. And while City will be without Kevin De Bruyne, Pep Guardiola has a host of talent still to call upon, not to mention a formidable home record.
He also knows a win would see them open up a five point gap over a team who pushed them all the way last season.
Mikel Arteta must find a way to stop Erling Haaland scoring. Good luck with that, mate. Prediction: Man City 2 Arsenal 1
David Anderson
In terms of statements, Arsenal can make a huge one by winning at the Etihad on Sunday. They have not won any of their last 10 visits, dating back to January 2015 when Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud scored.
They frustrated Manchester City to draw there at Easter, although that was ultimately not enough in the title race as the Blues produced one of their trademark perfect finishes.
Although Mikel Arteta’s side are closing the gap on City, they are still behind them and I’m backing Pep Guardiola’s side to do what they do best and win the big games. The timing suits City better and they were at home on Wednesday, while Arsenal had to fly back from Bergamo on Thursday night.
Arsenal do have Declan Rice back from suspension, but they are missing skipper Martin Odegaard. Guardiola’s only selection issue is who to pick and with Kevin De Bruyne pushing to play after injury, he has an embarrassment of riches.
City aren’t yet supposed to be up to full power, but they have still won all four Premier League games and I expect them to make that five on Sunday. Prediction: Man City 2 Arsenal 1
Mark Jones
It is tempting to think that if the scores are level after an hour then both managers will effectively shake hands there and then, but Pep Guardiola wouldn't be the manager he is if he didn't ruthlessly expose his opponents' weaknesses.
Arsenal are without their captain and face a hugely difficult and tight turnaround from their trip to Bergamo on Thursday. We know that they will play a cautious game, but frankly they might not have any other option.
Tottenham rather played into their hands in last weekend's North London derby, but City and Guardiola are too clever to follow suit. They are due a win over Arsenal and will get one here. Prediction: Man City 2 Arsenal 0
zeobceotz
7
city is unstoppable