Ed Aarons’ player ratings are here. I’ll leave you with those – goodnight.
Mikel Arteta's verdict
I’m very proud of the team, I must say. We dominated them and we’re very disappointed with the result.
We started incredibly goal, played the game in their half and didn’t allow them to breathe. But then in one action, which was so chaotic, they find themselves three v two and they are lethal in those situations. There are always things we can do better [when they concede in open play] but you also have to congratulate the opponent.
We had five shaky minutes – we had to reset mentally because it was so unfair to concede a goal with what we were dong. After that we completely dominated the game again.
At half-time I said that if we kept doing all the good things and improve two things we had to do better, then the goals would come.
[What were those two things?] That’ll stay in the dressing-room!
Gabi [Martinelli] probably deserved to play today. He didn’t but instead of moaning he came on with unbelievable energy to help the team get a point. Ebs the same. We will need everybody at their best this season.
If you can’t win the game, at least don’t lose it. But I know how hard it is to do what we’ve done on the pitch against Manchester City, with that level and that coach. So the overall feeling… ‘Aaagh!’
“I wanted more reward for the team.”
Pep Guardiola's reaction
Hats off to the team for their resilience. We played against United, then in the Champions League on Thursday and now today against an opponent who are so powerful in all aspects.
It’s so difficult when you’re not effective in the high pressing or in the build-up. I think the result is far. It’s a little bit ‘Aaagh, we were close’, but in general Arsenal were better.
The togetherness in the three games since the transfer window has been top. We defended incredibly well at corners. Yeah, we take that point. Of course we have to improve but after five games in the Premier League it is what it is.
[Why were you not effective in the high pressing?] Because they were better, and we were incredibly tired! Sometimes people don’t realise [how hard it is]. You have to be so strong in terms of mentality and we have done it.
[So the schedule was an issue?] Pep smiles and sighs theatrically [It’s a fair question, no?] You are the journalist my friend, you understand my process. Ten years we have been together. Of course it affects you [Pep wraps his fingers around his big bald dome], the mindset has to be strong but we have a lot of fatigue and injured players. Many things happen. But if you want to say I complained about the schedule, that’s okay [smiles]: I complain about the schedule!
[Was switching to 5-4-1 in the second half down to the schedule?] We try to not be like this. But when the opponent is better and we defend deeper, we have Erling so we can use the countter-attack, yes. But our intention is not to play like this. We have always made counter-attacks. Remember when we had Leroy [Sane] and Raheem [Sterling]? Remember how many counter-attacks? With Kevin, remember.
It’s impossible [to always dominate the ball]. That’s why we take the point. You have to try to adjust depending on the game.
“If Pep is a rock star (huge if),” says Niall Mullen, “then this is more like when John Lydon did those butter adverts. Confusing and going against all his previous principles but, presumably, the money was excellent.”
David Hytner's match report
It was so unusual to see [Pep Guardiola] play this way, to sacrifice the aesthetic. The result was all that mattered. And he had another defensive move when he withdrew Haaland in the 76th minute and introduced Nico González in midfield. Doku went into the No 9 position.
[Mikel] Arteta went through agonies in his technical area because it was so difficult for his players to find any spaces. After the burst at the start of the second half, it descended into a slog. Frustration replaced optimism in the stands.
Replays show that City had a case for a possible foul in the build-up to the Arsenal goal, when Gonzalez and Calafiori challenged for a 50/50 ball. It might bave been a foul by Calafiori but it certainly wasn’t a clear and obvious error.
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Arsenal reaction
Declan Rice
It’s a massive goal, a moment of magic. Since I’ve been at the club, even before I was here, he’s delivered in big moments. The amount times he’s scored in big games for us… Some players sulk when they get put on the bench… The run and the finish, and to have that composure at that stage, is unbelievable. You couldn’t meet a nicer guy either.
We didn’t win today but I thought we dominated. We couldn’t break them down; fair play to them.
[On City’s approach] In my time we haven’t dominated a game against City like we did today. I think we’ve gained their respect; they know the quality we have. It was constant pressure but there was always a threat from them on the counter-attack as well. We deserved a goal; had we lost we’d have been really disappointed. A point’s probably fair.
They went to 5-4-1 which I’ve never seen them do. They were trying to hang on so to get the wi- the draw at the end was good for us.
Gabriel Martinelli
Those are the moments I work for. We played really well, I think we were unlucky in certain moments. It was a great ball from Ebs and I just tried to put in the back of the net. We have so many good passers so I know if I make those runs I will get at least one chance.
“Think of Pep Guardiola as a rock star,” strums Peter Oh. “We can’t expect him to stay the same and just keep doing the maverick stuff that made him famous. He’s older, wiser, and more jaded now. He’s entitled to slow down and do more mid-tempo stuff.”
Tell that to Kim Gordon.
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Manchester City had 32.8 per cent possession, which I think is the lowest for any Pep Guardiola team during his career. In other news the Guardian has renounced woke ideology, Greta Thunberg is popping to the supermarket in her private jet and Del Boy has conceded there’s no guarantee he and Rodney will be millionaires this time next year.
A game that was both uneventful and fascinating ends level. Erling Haaland’s devastating early goal gave City something to defend, and Pep Guardiola went all in on a 1-0 victory by setting up a small army of defenders. Just when it looked like they had broken Arsenal’s spirit, the substitute Gabriel Martinelli took advantage of some rare space to score a delightful equaliser.
Unlike a year ago, there’s no needle at the final whistle. Erling Haaland embraces Declan Rice as a number of the players chat amiably.
Full time: Arsenal 1-1 Man City
Liverpool extend their winning start to the season with a draw at the Emirates. Come on, you know what I mean.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 5 | 6 | 15 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 5 | 8 | 10 |
| 3 | Tottenham Hotspur | 5 | 7 | 10 |
| 4 | AFC Bournemouth | 5 | 1 | 10 |
| 5 | Crystal Palace | 5 | 4 | 9 |
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90+8 min: Arsenal substitution Cristhian Mosquera for Martin Zubimendi, largely because City have a set-piece.
90+6 min “If you can’t beat the world’s strongest wrists,” writes Tomasz Rykala, “lob them.”
Ha, yes. Not even Donnarumma could reach that.
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90+5 min The good news for Martinelli is that he has just scored a brilliant and priceless equaliser. The bad news is he won’t be starting a big game in the near future; that goal has cemented his role as an impact substitute. Or finisher, in the parlance of our time.
Eze, just inside his own half, saw Martinelli’s run and pinged a sweet pass over a surprisingly high City defence. Martinelli timed his run perfectly from right to left, controlled the ball on the run and flicked the deftest of lobs over Donnarumma. It dropped from the sky in slow motion and bounced gently into the net. In the circumstances – collective and personal – that is the most brilliant finish.
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GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Man City (Martinelli 90+3)
The Emirates is going ballistic after a fabulous equaliser from Gabriel Martinelli!
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90+2 min “For those familiar with Peep Show,” says Luke Stevenson, “it feels like Arteta is watching this cynical, time-wasting, 9-0-1 defensive performance from City yelling ‘This is not my chickens coming home to roost.’”
‘For those familiar with Peep Show’ indeed. Are you familiar with the Guardian football readership?
90 min There will be seven minutes of added time. Exactly the same as at the Etihad a year ago, when John Stones equalised in the eighth added minute.
89 min Rice snapsa his head back in frustration after playing the ball straight out of play. Pep Guardiola gives one of the extra officials a kiss on the cheek after a playful interaction. He’s living his best life, playing 5-4-1.
88 min No idea what formation Arsenal are playing now. The closest thing to a right-back is Ethan Nwaneri but he is essentially another central midfielder.
87 min: Man City substitution John Stones and Savinho replace a limping Nico O’Reilly and Jeremy Doku. I guess Nathan Ake will go to left-back.
Doku started the game slowly but has been excellent in the second half.
86 min “Arsenal aren’t laying a glove on the City centre-backs,” says Gary Neville on Sky. In the context – always context – of both teams and especially both managers’ careers, this has been a very odd football match.
84 min: Arsenal substitution Ethan Nwaneri for Leandro Trossard.
83 min Nico Gonzalez is booked for a cynical foul on Saka.
82 min: Chance for Doku! City almost seal it on the break. Doku receives a return pass on the left side in the area, twists outside Gabriel but then pokes a nothing ball across the face of goal. My first impression was that he should have taken the shot himself, albeit from a tight angle.
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81 min Rice curls the corner into the six-yard box. Donnarumma flaps it away and a City defender completes the clearance. It wasn’t totally convincing from Donnarumma but ultimately he did well as he had an entire bodysuit of Arsenal players around him.
Donnarumma has come for every corner which takes courage given how much difficulty he has had with some of them.
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80 min Arsenal continue to probe and win another corner – although Trossard was well offside in the build up and City will have a legitimate grievance if the corner leads to a goal
Before it is taken, Gabriel Martinelli replaces Jurrien Timber.
79 min “City have parked the bus!” writes Joe Pearson. “There is no God.”
78 min These are the updated XIs.
Arsenal (4-1-2-3ish) Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi; Eze, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard.
Manchester City (5-4-1) Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Bernardo, Rodri, Nico, Reijnders; Doku.
77 min Donnarumma has finally been booked for reading the first 200 pages of War and Peace during this afternoon’s match.
76 min: Man City substitution Nico Gonzalez replaces Erling Haaland. Is this Pep sticking two fingers up at Arsenal after their 9-0-0 formation in the second half a year ago. Goodness knows. Doku has gone up front with Reijnders to the left, so it’s still 5-4-1.
75 min Saka’s cross is headed over by Calafiori, who got across Nunes but had a lot to do.
I can’t remember a more defensive performance from a Pep Guardiola team, ever. I’ve probably forgotten one. I should stress this isn’t a criticism; I just find it fascinating.
72 min Calafiori fouls Bernardo, who accepts the invitation to visit the canvas for 30 seconds or so. In fairness it looked quite painful.
70 min City have weathered one storm and currently look reasonably comfortable. Might be time for Arsenal to introduce Gabriel Martinelli in his new role of finisher.
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69 min Phil Foden had a very quiet game, mainly because City have barely had the ball. He didn’t play badly; he just ran around a lot, possibly wondering what on earth was going on.
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68 min These are the revised line-ups.
Arsenal (4-1-2-3ish) Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi; Eze, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard.
Manchester City (5-4-1ish) Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Bernardo, Rodri, Reijnders, Doku; Haaland.
67 min: Man City substitution Pep Guardiola is booked for something or other. Maybe it’s for crimes against attacking football: he has just replaced Phil Foden with Nathan Ake. This is hilarious, City are now playing a 5-4-1.
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66 min As I type, City have had 30.8 per cent possession in this game. Anybody know the lowest for a Pep Guardiola team?
64 min Saka has made a difference, a statement so unsurprising that I feel a bit stupid typing it. He is fouled 40 yards from goal by the increasingly frazzled O’Reilly, which allows Rice to whack another ball into the box. City clear from the seat of their pants.
63 min I know, I know, but here’s the Premier League table as things stand.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 5 | 6 | 15 |
| 2 | Tottenham Hotspur | 5 | 7 | 10 |
| 3 | AFC Bournemouth | 5 | 1 | 10 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 5 | 7 | 9 |
| 5 | Man City | 5 | 5 | 9 |
61 min A good move involving Eze and Timber leads to another Arsenal corner. Rice takes and this time City clear without alarm.
60 min Saka curls an inviting corner beyond the far post. Donnarumma is baulked and the ball reaches Trossard, whose volley hits one of the 471 players inside the six-yard box. The Arsenal pressure is mounting.
57 min: Chance for Haaland!
City break ruthlessly from that Arsenal corner. Doku runs 40 yards before timing an excellent through pass to Haaland, who bulldozes into the area but shoots too close to Raya from 15 yards. His save rebounds to Eze, who attempts to stab the ball clear but hits it straight against Rice. Thankfully for Arsenal it loops over the bar rather than into the vacant net.
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56 min Trossard runs Nunes to win a corner on the left. He was much quieter than Madueke in the first half but is a more natural fit on that side of the pitch.
Donnarumma gets nowhere near Rice’s corner, leading to a mini-scramble until Trossard’s shot is blocked by Bernardo.
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54 min A City goalkick allows Donnarumma to leaf through War and Peace again. As a neutral it’s fascinating to watch a Pep Guardiola team play like this.
52 min Next goal’s a big goal, and right now Arsenal look like scoring it. Saka’s shot is blocked and ricochets across the area, with another Arsenal player (Gyokeres? Rice?) fresh-airing an attempted overhead kick.
50 min: Donnarumma denies Eze
A storm is coming. Trossard’s cross is headed away to the edge of the area, where Eze controls the ball in the chest and whistles a half-volley that is beaten away by Donnarumma. Lovely strike but ultimately straight at the keeper.
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48 min Saka controls a crossfield pass, beats Doku and stands up a dangerous cross. Dias heads it half clear, Reijnders muffs his clearance and Zubimendi shoots just over from the edge of the box.
The mood at the Emirates has changed since the introduction of Eze and Saka.
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47 min I beg your pardon, it was Noni Madueke who went off at half-time, not Leandro Trossard. These are the revised line-ups.
Arsenal (4-1-2-3ish) Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi; Eze, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard.
Manchester City (4-1-2-3ish) Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Rodri; Bernardo, Reijnders; Foden, Haaland, Doku.
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46 min Timber is booked inside 30 seconds for a cynical foul on Doku, who had vroomed past him and was taking a shortcut towards the rest of the Arsenal defence.
46 min Manchester City have also made a half-time change: Matheus Nunes from Abdukodir Khusanov at right-back. That might be a legacy of an Arsenal player (I forget who it was) accidentally standing on Khusanov’s foot.
Saka and Eze on at half-time
No messing around from Mikel Arteta. Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze have replaced Mikel Merino and Noni Madueke from half-time.
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“I’m trying to ignore the unfamiliarity of Man City sitting back and playing homage to José Mourinho,” writes Charles Antaki. “It’s too disorienting. Much better to celebrate the sparkling stuff from Madueke down the right touchline. To torture the words of the old English folk song, Hey, Noni - Yes!”
I thougth Mikel Arteta was José? Has elite football entered a Hall of Mourrors?
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Sky Sports’ Roy Keane on Erling Haaland
He’s like a man possessed. He’s a beast up there; he’s knocking people over, he’s holding the ball up. Great leadership skills he’s showing today – and what a goal!
The goal was his sixth of the Premier League season. That’s twice as many as anyone else.
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Half-time reading
Half time: Arsenal 0-1 Man City
City lead at the Emirates through a mighty goal from Erling Haaland. Arsenal have had more shots, all five corners and nearly 70 per cent of the possession – but they haven’t really looked like scoring against an unshamedly defensive City. And with that, I’m off to explore the concept of cognitive dissonance.
45+5 min Bernardo Silva, who has been booked, flicked a dead ball towards Trossard, who threw it back with greater force – but still not that much – and hit Bernardo in the oohmatrons. The referee Stuart Attwell keeps his cards in his pocket.
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45+4 min Bernardo Silva is on the floor after an incident with Trossard, who was sent off at this stage of the 2-2 draw last year. It’s not clear what happened this time but players on both sides are having words.
45+1 min Merino plays a short pass to Madueke on the right side of the area. He shifts the ball to the side of O’Reilly and whacks an early shot that Donnarumma beats away at the near post. Good save because there was an element of surprise to the shot.
45 min Four minutes of added time.
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44 min Madueke finds himself one v one with O’Reilly, who stays on his feet and makes a good tackle. Arsenal come again through Madueke, who sits O’Reilly down this time and clips a cross that is punched away by Donnarumma. Calafiori, lurking in roughly the same position from which he scored on debut against City a year ago, volleys the rebound over.
41 min Zubimendi gets to the byline on the left and strains to stand up a useful cross. Gvardiol wins the header, Madueke collects the loose ball and then Doku poke it over his own bar for a corner.
Rice swings it deep, Donnarumma makes a complete mess of his punch but gets away with it when Saliba heads the loose ball wide under pressure. Tough chance.
Donnarumma takes an age over the goalkick and Mikel Arteta is raging on the touchline. This isn’t a criticism of him, because all managers/human beings do it, but I’d love to know how he rationalises a distinction between Donnarumma’s approach and Arsenal’s consistent timewasting in the last few years.
40 min There’s a bit of dissent among the home fans, some of whom regard Arsenal’s approach as excessively cautious. In some respects it’s been a confusing half because Arsenal have had around 65 per cent of the possession.
38 min Doku, who has been quiet so far, leads a three-on-three break from a long punt forward. He shuffles past a couple of defenders, then goes down a blind alley and plays the ball back to Rodri. His first-time shot from 25 yards flies into outer space.
37 min Possession in the last 10 minutes:
Arsenal 87 per cent
Pep Guardiola FC 13 per cent
EVERYTHING WE KNOW IS WRONG.
36 min Bernardo Silva is booked for a grautiously late tackle on Gabriel.
34 min Martin Odegaard hasn’t always been at his best in the last 15 months or so but Arsenal are missing his urgency and imaginative passing. There’s a long way to go – Arsenal scored four in the last 35 minutes of this fixture last season – but right now City are comfortable.
32 min Calafiori’s long throw is half cleared to Rice, whose follow-up cross is headed back across goal by Madueke. Donnarumma collects.
When the original throw came in, Gabriel ended up visiting the canvas after a slight push in the back from his old friend Haaland. Not enough for a penalty.
30 min Arsenal have had 63 per cent possession but no attempts at goal. Arsene Wenger’s phrase “sterile domination” was invented for such data.
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28 min Madueke, who has been Arsenal’s best attacker so far, makes a sinuous run to the byline, beating three City players en route. There aren’t many options in the middle, however, and his cutback is cleared.
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26 min “Blimey,” says Justin Kavanagh. “Has Pep, the man who drilled so many footballers how to win matches on points, now reinvented himself as a rope-a-dope coach?”
I wouldn’t quite go that far, but he is definitely – in tactical terms – having an intense, erotic relationship with Pep Lijnders. And the best thing is we all get to watch!
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24 min Reijnders stays down after a challenge from Timber, who win the ball and then followed through into the back of Reijnders’ foot. He’s fine now.
24 min “Glorious day here in south-west Poland,” writes Peadar de Burca, “but I’m a bit conflicted by Haaland’s goal and a possible City victory: six points clear of Arsenal on one hand, but Guardiola’s boys gathering momentum and looming in the rearview mirror like the Truck in Spielberg’s Duel. Swings and roundabouts I suppose.”
My heart bleeds.
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23 min Donnarumma isn’t hurrying the restarts, a tactic the home crowd have noticed and expressed their disapproval towards. Unpick that moral maze.
22 min Merino, in the centre circle, tries to put Gyokeres clean through with an excellent first-time pass. The right-back Khusanov shows excellent positioning and enviable pace to beat Gyokeres to the ball and clear. Terrific defending that because Gyokeres would have been through on goal.
20 min Merino farts around in possession and is robbed 25 yards from goal. City’s New Transitionists proceed with urgency until, about 0.2 seconds later, Reijnders’ low shot from distance is held to his right by David Raya.
18 min The corner is slightly underhit and O’Reilly heads away at the near post.
City’s approach is fascinating. In their pomp they dominated possession whereever they went; here they’re playing like the away side.
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18 min: Arsenal win their first corner
It’s on the right so Madueke will take it…
17 min As things stand – I know, I know – Liverpool are six points clear of both their main title rivals.
16 min Khusanov needs treatment after an Arsenal player stood on his foot. It looked a complete accident and there were no City complaints, only a yelp of pain from Khusanov.
14 min When Haaland scored, the possession stats were something like 74-26 in Arsenal’s favour. Now City are keeping the ball a bit more, doubtless helped by a slightly stunned reaction from Arsenal to the goal. The best defence in world football is not supposed to be taken to the cleaners like that.
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13 min “Yikes,” says Niall Mullen. “Look on his works ye mighty and despair.”
12 min The finish and the run were marvellous, as was Reijnders’ assist, but it all started with Haaland’s deft pass round the corner. Like Barney Ronay said, this is a new model Haaland.
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11 min Gary Neville has just compared Haaland’s goal to one of the great counter-attacks of modern times.
Haaland was surrounded by Arsenal players when he received the ball 15 yards inside his own half. He slipped an astute pass round the corner to Reijnders, got on his bike and suddenly City were three on two against a backpedalling defence. Reijnders scampered forward, waited for Haaland to appear to his right and flicked a perfectly timed return pass. Haaland took it on the run and beat David Raya with an unerring finish from 10 yards. That’s about as incisive as football gets.
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GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Man City (Haaland 9)
This is devastating. Utterly, frighteningly brilliant.
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7 min Arsenal continue to make the running. Timber curves a good pass into space for Gyokeres, who makes an excellent run but is well tracked by Gvardiol and the move peters out.
4 min Arsenal have started pretty well. Trossard makes a surging run down the left before being eased to the ground with a hint of disdain by Khusanov. No foul given.
1 min And they’re off. City have started with Phil Foden on the right and Bernardo Silva as the right-sided No8, a swap from the last two games. This is their revised line-up.
Manchester City (4-1-2-3ish) Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Rodri; Bernardo, Reijnders; Foden, Haaland, Doku.
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A reminder of the teams
Arsenal (4-1-2-3ish) Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi; Merino, Rice; Madueke, Gyokeres, Trossard.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Mosquera, White, Saka, Eze, Martinelli, Norgaard, Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly.
Manchester City (4-1-2-3ish) Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Rodri; Foden, Reijnders; Bernardo, Haaland, Doku.
Subs: Trafford, Stones, Ake, Nico, Savinho, Nunes, Bobb, Mukasa, Lewis.
Referee Stuart Attwell.
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The Premier League table at kick off
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 5 | 6 | 15 |
| 2 | Tottenham Hotspur | 5 | 7 | 10 |
| 3 | AFC Bournemouth | 5 | 1 | 10 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 4 | 8 | 9 |
| 5 | Crystal Palace | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| 6 | Chelsea | 5 | 5 | 8 |
| 7 | Sunderland | 5 | 2 | 8 |
| 8 | Fulham | 5 | 1 | 8 |
| 9 | Everton | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| 10 | Man Utd | 5 | -2 | 7 |
| 11 | Leeds | 5 | -3 | 7 |
| 12 | Man City | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| 13 | Newcastle | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| 14 | Brighton | 5 | -2 | 5 |
| 15 | Nottm Forest | 5 | -4 | 5 |
| 16 | Burnley | 5 | -3 | 4 |
| 17 | Brentford | 5 | -4 | 4 |
| 18 | Aston Villa | 5 | -4 | 3 |
| 19 | West Ham | 5 | -8 | 3 |
| 20 | Wolverhampton | 5 | -9 | 0 |
Barney Ronay on that elephant-shaped thing over there
This has by now become something of a joke on the football periphery. Why has it taken so long? The charges relate to financial reporting, employee remuneration and profitability and sustainability regulation. How hard can it be to resolve this?
Actually very hard, and this is normal. As someone with a professional insight into the process of corporate law, there is, to use a technical term, masses of complex bullshit to wade through. One semi-dead case at my old law firm had been going on for eight years, much of that time taken up dusting off files in a south-coast hangar and aggressively ranking local seafood restaurants.
Premier League results
Bournemouth 0-0 Newcastle
Sunderland 1-1 Aston Villa
Ed Aarons assesses the new, improved Arsenal
There were rumours that [Gabriel] Martinelli and [Leandro] Trossard could be allowed to depart in the summer but it is understood [Mikel] Arteta was keen to keep both despite the arrivals of Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze. Martinelli and Trossard scored 10 goals each last season and made regular contributions, even if the former has struggled to hit the heights of the 2022-23 campaign when he managed 15. But the Brazilian’s pace provides a very different option on the left to Eze, who prefers to drift inside.
Read Barney Ronay on Erling Haaland 2.0
Pep Guardiola’s eyes boggled with pleasure as he spoke about the relentlessness of his players. “Erling is a machine,” was Jérémy Doku’s verdict after Erling Haaland had scored two fine goals and in between spent much of the game running over the various portions of sullen human flesh acting as the United defence.
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Team news: Saliba starts, City unchanged
William Saliba returns from injury for Arsenal, one of two changes from the midweek win in Bilbao. Leandro Trossard is preferred to Eberechi Eze on the left wing; Cristhian Mosquera maeks way for Saliba. Oh, and Bukayo Saka is fit enough to be on the bench.
Pep Guardiola names the same starting XI for the third game in a row. He can’t have done that too many times during his career.
Arsenal (4-1-2-3ish) Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi; Merino, Rice; Madueke, Gyokeres, Trossard.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Mosquera, White, Saka, Eze, Martinelli, Norgaard, Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly.
Manchester City (4-1-2-3ish) Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Rodri; Foden, Reijnders; Bernardo, Haaland, Doku.
Subs: Trafford, Stones, Ake, Nico, Savinho, Nunes, Bobb, Mukasa, Lewis.
Referee Stuart Attwell.
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Preamble
Arsenal v Manchester City was supposed to be the Premier League’s next great rivalry, a sprawling epic to compare with Liverpool v Manchester City (2018-22) – maybe even Arsenal v Manchester United (1996-2005).
City and Arsenal were the top two in successive seasons from 2022-24, with City pipping their emerging challengers on both occasions. Then, ayear ago this weekend, they drew 2-2 in a thrilling, humble and spiteful game at the Etihad. Even in late September, the match felt hugely significant to the title race.
At the final whistle, the Guardian minute-by-minute reporter concluded, “I think we can now say that Man City v Arsenal is a proper rivalry.”
The rivalry has been frozen in time because of Liverpool’s spectacular success under Arne Slot. A year ago they were the best of the rest; now they are the reigning champions. Liverpool have also spent £450m and – by hook, crook or fairytale winners from 16-year-olds – won their first five Premier League games of the season.
Arsenal (who are six points behind with today’s game in hand) and City (nine points) need a win to maintain their proximity to Liverpool’s tail lights. That, more than the rivalry between the sides or City’s desire to avenge their 5-1 pasting in February, is why today’s game feels so significant – even in late September.
Kick off 4.30pm.
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