Manchester City vs Arsenal LIVE: Premier League result and reaction after goalless draw
Man City 0-0 Arsenal: Neither side could break the deadlock in a good result for Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium
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Your support makes all the difference.Arsenal showed their title credentials by holding reigning champions Manchester City to a 0-0 draw at the Etihad Stadium, allowing Liverpool to take top spot on a pivotal day in the Premier League’s three-way title race.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, in the hunt for their first league title in 20 years, are second in the table on 65 points with nine games remaining, while City are third with 64. Liverpool claimed the lead with their 2-1 comeback victory over Brighton & Hove Albion earlier on Sunday.
City dominated possession, coming at Arsenal in waves. But the visitors frustrated Pep Guardiola’s men – including league-leading scorer Erling Haaland – with a textbook defensive display to extend their unbeaten league run to nine games.
Gabriel Jesus had Arsenal’s best chances, firing two shots just wide in the first half and then narrowly failing to meet an inviting cross from Bukayo Saka. City’s best opportunity was Kevin De Bruyne’s early corner kick that glanced off the shoulder of Nathan Ake but fell to keeper David Raya
Relive all the action from Manchester City vs Arsenal below:
Predicted line-ups
A reminder of our predicted line-ups as we approach an hour before the official confirmation.
Here’s how we think Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta will set up their teams this afternoon.
Manchester City XI: Ederson; Akanji, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol; Rodri, Bernardo; Foden, De Bruyne, Doku; Haaland
Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Jorginho, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Trossard
Guardiola on his team’s mentality
Pep Guardiola also spoke about mentality earlier in the week. With City a point behind Arsenal and Liverpool in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola’s men are in the unusual position of chasing to win the title, as well as another treble, this season.
Speaking ahead of the game, Guardiola stated that it’s the mentality of his players that drives them to their successes.
“I think it comes from inside themselves. After eight years, I don’t have to motivate them every three days - it doesn’t work like that unfortunately,” he said.
“They have something inside - some fire - to compete or else we would not be here. I say a thousand million times that the biggest reason behind our success is the players and their desire to extend the success.
“They set the benchmark for the future generations. I couldn’t imagine we would be here after all these years and every year be in the top three, FA Cup semi-finals and the Champions League. It’s so complicated and it’s really good - really good.”
Manchester City vs Arsenal LIVE
Turning our attention back to today’s later kick-off, and Mikel Arteta spoke to Sky earlier in the week about how he is trying to shape Arsenal into title winners, both literally and metaphorically.
“Body language, in my opinion, is very, very important,” Arteta said.
“It is something the players have to feel. And to be able to feel it, they have to feel that confidence, they have to feel emotionally prepared as well to make that step.
“You want to maintain all the qualities we had in the past and keep improving. Don’t lose them. Add, and add, and add, without losing anything.”
He added that physical prowess “is a huge quality” of signings such as Declan Rice and Kai Havertz, but explained that “their intelligence, their character, the passion they have for the game and how competitive they are” are also important, as the Spaniard attempts to mould his side’s mentality to that of a title-winning side.
We will see today how far his side have come in that department, after their title chances crashed in this same fixture last season when City ran out 4-1 winners.
Follow Liverpool vs Brighton LIVE
Liverpool’s game at home to Brighton has now kicked off, and you can follow the live text from that game here. The Reds are looking to – perhaps only briefly – return to the top of the Premier League table ahead of Arsenal and City facing off later.
Liverpool vs Brighton LIVE: Premier League team news and line-ups
Liverpool are looking to go top of the Premier League as they take on Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton at Anfield
The weekend’s league results
A quick reminder of the rest of the results from the weekend so far.
None of them affect the title run-in at all, but there were immensely entertaining games further down the table.
Newcastle produced a stunning comeback to beat West Ham 4-3 in the dying minutes, while Spurs also came back to beat Luton 2-1. In the other games in the race for Europe, Villa strolled to a 2-0 win against Wolves, while Manchester United somehow earned a point at Brentford despite being dominated in large periods.
Down at the bottom of the table, 10-man Burnley managed to salvage a 2-2 draw away at Chelsea, while Sheffield United blew a 3-1 lead to draw 3-3 with Fulham. Bournemouth beat Everton 2-1, while Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest played out a 1-1 draw.
Newcastle 4-3 West Ham United
Bournemouth 2-1 Everton
Chelsea 2-2 Burnley
Tottenham 2-1 Luton Town
Sheffield United 3-3 Fulham
Nottingham Forest 1-1 Crystal Palace
Aston Villa 2-0 Wolves
Brentford 1-1 Manchester United
State of the title race
Liverpool are level with leaders Arsenal on 64 points while Manchester City are a point behind with 10 games left in a three-way battle for the title.
After today, Liverpool face Sheffield United before travelling to old rivals Manchester United on 7 April. Arsenal play Luton in midweek before visiting Brighton, while City have the potentially tough task of hosting Aston Villa before facing Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in the early kick-off on 6 April.
Man City vs Arsenal prediction
Despite City’s injuries, it is difficult to see them losing at home, especially if Arsenal are indeed without any or all of Saka, Martinelli and Gabriel.
A close game finishes as a draw that is a boost to Arsenal’s title hopes, but means Liverpool finish as the real winner should they defeat Brighton in Sunday’s earlier kick off.
Manchester City 1-1 Arsenal.
Pep Guardiola confirms John Stones and Kyle Walker blow ahead of Man City vs Arsenal
Pep Guardiola himself confirmed that Stones and Walker were facing a spell on the sidelines, with both in a race against time to be fit to face Real Madrid on 9 April.
Pep Guardiola expects his captain Walker to be sidelined for longer than Stones after each was hurt playing for England, but is waiting to discover how long each will spend on the sidelines.
But Manuel Akanji, who missed training on Thursday, should be fit to take one of the spots in defence and Ederson is set to return in goal after suffering a thigh injury in the draw against Liverpool.
“Kyle and John are out,” said Guardiola. “It is what it is. [The injury for] Kyle tougher than John but I don’t know how many games.”
Pep Guardiola confirms John Stones and Kyle Walker blow ahead of Man City vs Arsenal
Both Stones and Walker limped off while playing for England this week, but Ederson and Kevin De Bruyne are set to be available for the title clash
Early teams news
A reminder of the early team news for both sides. Both teams come in the clash with injury concerns following the international break.
It was a devastating window for the champions City, who saw Kyle Walker limp off with a hamstring issue in England’s 1-0 defeat to Brazil, before John Stones was forced off early on in the 2-2 draw with Belgium due to an abductor problem.
The concerns for Arsenal came earlier, with Bukayo Saka pulling out of England’s camp and both Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli forced to withdraw from Brazil’s squad. All three remain a doubt ahead of Sunday’s pivotal fixture.
For the home side, Ederson, Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish are likely to be fit once more.
Man City vs Arsenal team news after Bukayo Saka, Kyle Walker and John Stones updates
City face being without up to seven first-team stars for the visit of Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday
Mikel Arteta wants leaders Arsenal to treat trip to Man City as a home fixture
As well as heaping praise on Pep Guardiola, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has urged his side to treat their trip to title rivals Manchester City as a home fixture.
The Gunners are a point above the reigning champions at the top of the table ahead of Sunday’s clash at the Etihad Stadium – where Arsenal have lost on their last seven visits.
Asked why his team are so good away from home, Arteta replied: “It’s probably trying to play away like we do at home and to have that belief and aggression in our play.
“We have to play every team twice and we know the fixtures that we have and we’re looking forward to it.
“It is different, the previous games when we went there and this season. Now I hope we can show that on the pitch.”
Mikel Arteta wants leaders Arsenal to treat trip to Man City as a home fixture
The Gunners are a point above the reigning champions at the top of the table ahead of Sunday’s clash at the Etihad Stadium.
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