Manchester City and Arsenal both look stronger than they did during last season’s epic title race.
Arsenal definitely have the tools to fight for the Premier League again and Sunday afternoon’s clash looks highly significant — even in September.
After two energy-sapping games at Tottenham and then Atalanta, Mikel Arteta might be tempted to sit back and aim for a repeat of the goalless draw at the Etihad in March.
We’ll know if that’s the case if we see Jorginho’s name on the team sheet beforehand!
Personally, I think that sends the wrong signal. Arsenal are missing Martin Odegaard’s creativity and pressing but Arteta still has enough talent to call upon to cause City problems.
A few Arsenal players — Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, William Saliba included — would get into City’s team.
I don’t think anyone in the world, not even Real Madrid, could go toe-to-toe with City for 90 minutes and win.
But Brentford showed last weekend the champions can be got at by showing adventure at the right times.
Just sitting back could see Arsenal become sitting ducks. This is early in the season, not spring, and Erling Haaland is fit, full of energy and firing. Pep Guardiola will be prepared to take risks in order to win so Arteta can’t plan only to survive.
I’m not saying Arsenal will win the league but neither would it surprise me.
They only missed out last season by two points, which was one hell of a challenge, and the summer signings they’ve made, plus the return of Jurrien Timber, will be important when squad strength is tested.
Riccardo Calafiori won’t have any problems with the Premier League. The Italian is robust, physical and versatile, able to play centre back, left back or part of a back three.
I saw him at the Euros in the summer and he has authority. He won’t be fazed playing in a big game for a big club.
Timber is like a new signing after last season’s injuries following his big-money move from Ajax. He provides the pace and stability at left back that Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu sometimes couldn’t. We’ve not properly seen Raheem Sterling and Mikel Merino yet but both are internationals and have great experience.
We know all about Sterling. Merino is technically gifted and a big strong guy who loves the physical side of the game.
Arsenal’s resilience also gives their fans hope. They have a group who look hungry and fight together.
Their defensive work to help beat Spurs was as good as I’ve seen in a long time.
Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard love to attack but have improved the other side of their game under Arteta. Their speed of recovery is partly why Arsenal are still unbeaten away in 2024.
Last season, Arsenal took four points off City and Liverpool. They know how to win big games. They slipped up against Fulham, West Ham and Aston Villa but look less vulnerable to those upsets now.
You would back Arsenal to be champions against any other side. Unfortunately for them, City will also be better this time because Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne missed parts of last season.
City have a slight advantage for this game by playing the Champions League at home on Wednesday, with Arsenal in Italy at Bergamo 24 hours later.
I know they travel on private planes but sleep patterns can still be interrupted. At Liverpool, Gerard Houllier made us stay overnight in Europe after games so we could get our heads down. The players didn’t like it, they wanted to get home, but results improved for the next league games.
I’m hoping that Arteta is bolder than he was at the Etihad last season. Arsenal have got the quality to trouble the City defence if they are brave.
If he sits back and Arsenal lose, there will be questions about his approach. I’d like Kai Havertz or Trossard to play No 10. I think City could edge the game 2-1 and remain title favourites by the thinnest of margins.
But anyone who expects a one-horse race is way off. Arsenal are the real deal and will push City all the way again.