Arsenal vs Man City LIVE: Premier League latest score and updates as Erling Haaland scores at the death
Mikel Arteta’s team face Pep Guardiola’s in an encounter that could determine who wins the Premier League title
Arsenal host Manchester City in a rearranged Premier League fixture that will have big ramifications on the title race when the two rivals clash at the Emirates Stadium tonight.
The Gunners have a three-point lead – with a game in hand - over Pep Guardiola’s men ahead of the first league meeting between the sides this season. Mikel Arteta’s side reached the halfway point with a total of 50 points but have dropped five points in their last two games, against Everton and Brentford, leaving the door open for City to chase them down.
The two teams clashed in the FA Cup last month with City running out 1-0 winners and the reigning champions will move to the top of the table should they defeat Arsenal again this evening.
Could tonight’s encounter determine where the Premier League trophy ends up at the end of the season?
Follow all the updates from the Emirates as Arsenal take on Manchester City:
Pep Guardiola sends message to Man City players ahead of title ‘fight’ with Arsenal
Pep Guardiola has told his Manchester City players not to give up their Premier League title without a fight.
The champions have a chance to take top spot from Arsenal when they face the Gunners in a crunch clash at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.
Arsenal have led the table for most of the season but have slipped up in their last two games, with defeat at struggling Everton and a draw at home to Brentford.
Second-placed City’s own form has been patchy but they got back to winning ways after a stumble at Tottenham with a comfortable victory over Aston Villa on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola sends message to Man City players ahead of title ‘fight’ with Arsenal
The champions have a chance to take top spot from Arsenal when they face the Gunners in a crunch clash at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday
Arteta’s bogey team
Manchester City are the only side Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has failed to beat as a Premier League manager - he has lost all five meetings with City in the competition, with his team scoring just one goal and conceding 12.
Three in a row?
Pep Guardiola’s team are at risk of losing three consecutive away league fixtures for the first time since July 2020.
Heads up
Each of the last three league goals Arsenal have conceded have been headers - none of the first 15 they let in this season were headers.
Do Mikel Arteta’s side have a weakness in defending set pieces?
Mikel Arteta accuses VAR official Lee Mason of ‘not understanding’ his job
Mikel Arteta has accused video assistant referee Lee Mason of not knowing his job after his error led to Brentford being wrongly awarded an equalising goal at Arsenal on Saturday.
Mason, who operates as a full-time VAR official for the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited), has been stood down from duty for the next round of Premier League games following his gaffe.
He did not investigate the play immediately leading to Brentford’s equaliser at the Emirates Stadium when Christian Norgaard appeared to be in an offside position before he hooked the ball across goal for Ivan Toney to score.
Mikel Arteta accuses VAR official Lee Mason of ‘not understanding’ his job
VAR official Mason has been stood down for the weekend’s fixtures after failing to fully check Brentford’s equaliser at Arsenal for offside
City enjoy Wednesday nights
Manchester City have won each of their last 22 Premier League games on a Wednesday, the longest winning run on a specific day of the week in the competition’s history.
But, they have only scored six goals in their past nine away games in all competitions.
Arsenal vs reigning champions
Arsenal have lost their last eight Premier League games against reigning champions, conceding at least two goals on each occasion.
The last time the Gunners beat the current top-flight champions was in a 1-0 victory over Leicester in April 2017.
City’s struggles on the road
Manchester City have dropped 13 away points this season (five wins, two draws, three defeats), compared to 11 in total last term (14 wins, four draws, one defeat).
Why Arsenal vs Man City is anything but a normal Premier League title decider
If Pep Guardiola was aggravated enough to name the nine Premier League clubs he felt had aggrieved Manchester City in Friday’s press conference, the feeling is more than mutual. The reaction around the competition is said to be one of “fury” about the nature of the Catalan manager’s comments. It got to the point where City executives were trying to explain it away to some counterparts as just Guardiola’s passion.
That passion nevertheless saw him name Arsenal as one of the nine and it could bring some interesting conversations at boardroom level on Wednesday. They could certainly go down some avenues people wouldn’t have anticipated.
Then again, that’s also been the story of this fixture. It was supposed to take place in October, only for the postponements from the Queen’s funeral to force readjustments. That was a point when both sides were on much better form, but it felt more relevant for Arsenal given this is all new to Mikel Arteta’s side, and there was always the danger they face City again without the reinforcements of a fine recent return.
Why Arsenal vs Man City is anything but a normal Premier League title decider
As leaders Arsenal challenge serial champions City the top-of-the-table clash is instead framed by unprecedented controversy
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