Former buddies reunite their acquaintances this weekend in the Premier League. Mikel Arteta returns to the Etihad Stadium to face off friend Pep Guardiola. The match schedules for Saturday with kickoff at 4:30 pm.
It is a poor start for the Citizens in their new campaign who enter in-game week five with five points. The side is currently ten places behind their Saturday opponents in the Premier League this week.
There was a bit of hope when Arteta came off the wings of Pep Guardiola to take charge of Arsenal who was in shambles. It appears to have brought the same mentality to the team over his ten months in charge at the Emirates Stadium.
Arteta dropped a shocker against his former friend in the buildup of their FA Cup win with a 2-0 win. It has been a busy transfer window for Arteta with reinforcements of William Saliba, Gabriel and Willian. However, the most standout signing was of Atletico’s Madrid’s midfielder Thomas Partey on deadline day.
Pep suffered from defensive woes that cost him the Premier League title. He has been busy in the transfer window with the move for Benfica’s defender Ruben Dias in exchange of Otamendi. He also managed to hold on to Eric Garcia who appeared keen on a move back to Barcelona with a buy-back clause.
Manchester City vs. Arsenal Head to Head
Both sides have 36 games against each other with Man City picking 12 wins while Arsenal with 17 wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
Leeds 1-1 Man City
Burnley 0-3 Man City
Man City 2-5 Leicester City
Man City 2-1 Bournemouth
Away
Arsenal 2-1 Sheffield United
Liverpool 0-0 Arsenal
Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal
Leicester City 0-2 Arsenal
Manchester City Team News
A major shock for Pep will be the injury of their PFA Player of the Year Kevin de Bruyne suffering a knock during the international break. Injury boosts for the side include the return to training for Sergio Aguero. Raheem Sterling withdrew from the England squad with a hamstring problem but still looks in contention to start.
Arsenal Team News
Good news for Arteta is that Kieran Tierney will cut short his 14-day self-isolation after coming in contact with Armstrong during the international break. After finishing one training session, it remains a question of whether Arteta will select Thomas Partey ahead of this clash.
Prediction and Odds
It is a very match to call given the attacking prowess for both sides. We anticipate a share of spoils this weekend.
Draw
Both Teams to Score
Goals Over 3.5
