Arsenal’s Unbeaten Run Faces Man City Test 

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in the Premier League will be put to test tomorrow as the Gunners welcome defending champions – Manchester City to the Emirate Stadium in what no doubt is the headline fixture for this weekend. While the Mikel Arteta’s side are still brooding over the loss to Lens in the Champions League on Tuesday, Pep Guardiola’s men will be buoyed by the 3-1 win over RB Leipzig midweek. Both sides will be depleted by notable absentees due to injuries and suspension, however the match is expected to be explosive and would go a long way in deciding where the title tilts to despite that there are still 30 more matches away after tomorrow’s encounter

Fans will flock to the Emirates Stadium for today’s standout Premier League contest, as Arsenal welcome champions, Manchester City to their North London headquarters.

Both sides took to the Champions League stage away from home in midweek, as the Gunners were bested 2-1 by Lens, while the Citizens left it late to overcome RB Leipzig 3-1.

From setting a new club clean sheet record away from home in the Premier League to suffering an agonising first defeat of the season in northern France, Arsenal’s unbeaten sequence deservedly came to an end against Ligue 1 runners-up Lens on Tuesday, where ex-Man City striker, Gabriel Jesus put the Gunners ahead thanks to a defensive gaffe.

However, David Raya’s poor clearance then led to Adrien Thomasson curling home a sumptuous leveller – a penny for Aaron Ramsdale’s thoughts as the Spaniard’s pass was cut out – before Elye Wahi found the far corner with aplomb to send Arsenal back to the English capital empty-handed.

Torrid weather conditions in North London – leading to the delay of their flight across the channel – slightly derailed Arsenal’s pre-match preparations, but Arteta refused to make excuses for his side’s tepid display on an evening where Bukayo Saka was also withdrawn with a first-half injury, capping off a nightmarish evening for the Gunners.

Nevertheless, Arteta’s third-placed charges are one of only two teams in the Premier League yet to lose a top-flight game this term – the other being their arch-nemesis Tottenham Hotspur – and last weekend’s 4-0 dismantling of Bournemouth has the Gunners sitting pretty in third place in the fledgling rankings.

Since the start of the 2022-23 season, Arsenal have only been put to the sword twice in Premier League home matches and have scored at least twice in all of their Emirates affairs so far this season, but for all of their steadfast defending on enemy territory, Arteta’s men are still waiting for their first Premier League home clean sheet of the new term.

Similar to their North London counterparts, Man City were also pegged back after taking the lead away from home in the Champions League this week, as Leipzig hotshot Lois Openda found the back of the net via the post to cancel out Phil Foden’s slick opener.

The champions’ efforts to wear down the Roten Bullen rearguard were met with stiff resistance from Marco Rose’s side, but the effervescent Julian Alvarez conjured up a moment of magic to restore City’s one-goal lead in the 84th minute, before the Argentine set Jeremy Doku away to finish the job in injury time.

Third time was the charm for Man City on Wednesday, as Pep Guardiola’s side travelled to Germany at risk of suffering three successive away defeats after falling short against Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the EFL Cup and Premier League respectively, with the latter defeat cutting their lead at the summit to just the one point.

By the time Sunday rolls around, City may have been knocked off their perch by Tottenham Hotspur – who need only win at Luton Town to usurp the treble winners – and while Arsenal’s defensive frailties at home are well-documented, Guardiola’s men have kept just four Premier League clean sheets on the road in 2023.

Receiving a golden ticket into the Community Shield thanks to Man City’s FA Cup and Premier League triumphs, Arsenal ended their hoodoo against Guardiola’s team by prevailing on penalties at Wembley two months ago, but the Gunners have been defeated in each of their last 12 top-flight games against Man City – their longest-ever losing streak against a single opponent in league history.

Meanwhile, fresh from gleaning their first-ever point in European football, Brighton & Hove Albion resume Premier League duty at home to fellow Europa League challengers Liverpool at the Amex Stadium tomorrow.

The Seagulls rallied from 2-0 down to hold Marseille to a 2-2 draw in midweek, while their Merseyside counterparts concluded a troubling period by seeing off Union SG 2-0.

As valiant as Brighton’s efforts were across the channel, De Zerbi’s side are now enduring an unsightly three-game winless run heading into the visit of Liverpool, having also been dumped out of the EFL Cup by Chelsea before their West Midlands mauling last weekend.

A sixth-placed ranking in the Premier League table – only three points behind leaders Manchester City – is still nothing to be sniffed at, but the defensive statistics are alarming for De Zerbi, whose side have already let in 20 goals in all tournaments this term, more than any other side in the English top flight.

As was the case with Brighton, Liverpool also entered the second round of Europa League fixtures reeling from a sickening Premier League result, having been on the wrong end of a horrendous officiating decision during their first defeat of the season against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

Two red cards, one incorrectly disallowed strike for Luis Diaz and Joel Matip’s last-gasp own goal all contributed to the Reds’ downfall in a 2-1 Lilywhites beating, and while Jurgen Klopp’s half-hearted wish for a replay owing to Darren England’s unparalleled VAR howler should not be granted, his side exorcised their domestic demons on Thursday.