Arsenal vs Man City LIVE: It’s the biggest match of the Premier League SEASON so far with champions looking to go top with a win at table-toppers… with Partey ruled out for Gunners and White dropped, as Pep goes with no recognised left back
Follow Sportsmail’s live blog for the Premier League clash between Arsenal and Manchester City.
Host commentator
Mikel Arteta has had a pretty tough task in his first ever appointment as a manager in senior football.
It is fair to say that it was not all straight forward for the Spaniard at the Gunners until very recently, with results often not going his way in the early stages of his tenure at the Emirates and several eyebrow-raising calls.
But whether or not you agree with his methods, he appears to have squeezed the best out of his group of players, and has turned them from the butt of many jokes, to a side that are in pole position to seal their first Premier League title in 19 years.
And whatever he might say, beating Pep tonight will be a massive hurdle in his mind that he will perhaps feel he needs to overcome to be considered a leading manager in his own right and step further out of his shadow.
He’s never managed to beat Guardiola in the league before in five attempts – the only rival he has never bested – but will tonight be the night he does just that?
Unsurprisingly, he has already faced several questions about his relationship with his opponent for the night – here’s what he said.
‘You know what goes through his mind, he knows what goes through mine, they have so many option and capabilities to change players, formations, we have to stick to who we are and what we do best.’
So we’ve seen who’s taking to the field tonight – but who do you think made our combined XI out of the players available?
Click the link below to find out.
It is difficult to overstate the importance of this one tonight.
Not only is it he challengers vs the champions, but it’s also got a hint of the ‘student vs the master’ narrative that sells pretty well in Hollywood.
We may only be in February but this one is very close to a title decider – a win for City means they will leapfrog the Gunners on goal difference and go back to the top of the table for the first time since the start of the World Cup.
But a win for the hosts could have huge repercussions for the title race, with the Gunners able to go six points clear and have a game in hand over their nearest rivals.
Arsenal have been in fantastic form for much of the season, but have dropped points twice in a row – a team with as much recent success under their belts as City are sure to have smelled blood.
They’ve already met once this season, with City taking the FA Cup fourth round clash 1-0, but tonight is a very different prospect.
So two changes for the hosts, who have made a habit of sticking with the same team week in, week out.
Tomiyasu and Jorginho come in for White and Partey.
But the visitors make just the one change to the side that beat Aston Villa 3-1 last time – and Haaland is still leading the line!
Laporte makes way for Ake at the back for Pep Guardiola.
And the hosts!
🔴 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 ⚪️
💫 Tomiyasu at the back
💪 Xhaka in midfield
🌶 Saka on the wing
⚡️ Ready for a BIG night in N5! pic.twitter.com/xRDFfH8AKv
Here’s the visiting side…
TEAM NEWS IS HERE! 🙌
XI | Ederson, Walker, Dias, Ake, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Gundogan (C), Bernardo, Mahrez, Grealish, Haaland
SUBS | Ortega Moreno, Phillips, Laporte, Alvarez, Gomez, Akanji, Foden, Palmer, Lewis#ManCity | @HaysWorldwide pic.twitter.com/OXcHAYKOeE
So who’s ready for some team news?
The starting XIs should be just a few seconds away for this titanic tussle at the top.
But City aren’t the only ones who can put together a little montage of best bits from the season so far to get the hairs on the back of your neck raising.
In Arsenal’s own attempt, Mikel Arteta can be heard talking about how ‘special’ it is to be a part of the campaign this time.
Although you have to strain your ears a little to hear him over the almost Lord of the Rings-esque violin backing music.
All of us. Together. Bringing the energy.
Let's go, Gooners ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/9A0WkrlX2M
Well the good news for City fans is that on paper this should be an extremely one-way tie.
The Gunners have a really poor record against the Citizens in recent meetings, winning just once in all competitions in the last 14 meetings between the two.
And 10 of those games have come in the Premier League, which have all gone City’s way, making it Arsenal’s longest such run against a single team in the history of the top-flight.
Does that settle a few nerves, City fans?
Pep makes a good point – they’ve met so many times already in Arteta’s short managerial career, but there is something distinctly different about this clash we’ve got tonight.
Have a look at the clip below for a few words from the City boss ahead of the game tonight.
London calling! 📞 pic.twitter.com/tkHMDjqcTk
Thomas Partey expected to MISS tonight’s clash
We’ve already had one pretty big piece of team news ahead of the mouth-watering clash at the Emirates.
Thomas Partey – who has been almost a mainstay in the midfield for Arsenal this season – is expected to miss out with a muscular problem.
That could pave the way for Jorginho to get his first start for the Gunners.
For more info, click the link below…
Good evening everyone, and welcome to this evening’s live Premier League coverage and it’s an absolutely huge one.
We’ve got the leaders, challenging for the title in an unlikely campaign that sees them sat at the top of the pile, Arsenal, taking on the heavyweight that has dominated English football in recent years, Man City.
This will be the first time these two clash in the league – they’ve already met in the FA Cup but more on that one a bit later – and it’s one that is sure to have massive repercussions either way.
Kick-off tonight is at 7.30pm from the Emirates Stadium in north London, so stick with us as we bring you all the latest news, stories and build-up to what should be an absolute cracker of a match.
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