Manchester City beat Arsenal to the title last season, but no opponent could make their chances worse. The Gunners were the only team to take four points from them, with a 1-0 win at the Emirates Stadium and a goalless draw at the Etihad Stadium.
Can they cause more problems for Pep Guardiola’s side? Super SundayThe champions have taken maximum points from their first four Premier League matches of the season, leaving them two points ahead of their title rivals at the top of the table.
But Arsenal will hope to keep them at bay for a third consecutive game, taking inspiration from the way they tormented Erling Haaland last season, and knowing they have ways to cause damage offensively, even without the injured Martin Odegaard.
Sunday, September 22nd at 4:00 p.m.
Start time: 4:30 PM
attack and defence comparison
It will not be easy for Arsenal to repeat last season’s efforts, especially given the short turnaround time after Thursday’s Champions League match against Atalanta in Italy.
City have had an extra day to prepare, as they host Inter Milan in their Champions League opener on Wednesday, and have started the campaign strongly, particularly in attack. After scoring 96 goals to win the title last season, five more than Arsenal’s 91, the champions have continued in that vein this season.
Led by Haaland, who has scored nine goals, City have scored 11 goals so far – three more than any other team. They also top the table for expected goals, shots on target and chances created.
Manchester City’s attacking stats this season are the best in the Premier League
Their 875 final-third passes are around 33 per cent more than any other team, reflecting their dominance in their opening matches against Chelsea, Ipswich, West Ham and Brentford.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have scored just six goals, from a relatively low expected goal total of 4.99, which puts them 14th among Premier League teams. Mikel Arteta’s side also rank in the bottom half in terms of chances created and final-third passes made.
Arsenal have certainly had more difficult matches, having to play against Aston Villa and Tottenham, while they played almost half of their home match against Brighton with 10 men after Declan Rice was sent off early in the second period.
As the season progresses and the matches get easier, the Gunners will undoubtedly climb up the rankings. However, right now City are way ahead in terms of offensive output and they are posting impressive underlying numbers defensively too.
Comparing the defensive stats of Man City and Arsenal this season
Although they have conceded more goals than Arsenal, three to the Gunners’ one, they still rank higher in terms of expected goals conceded and shots on target, with Arsenal thankful to some excellent saves from David Raya to keep their opponents in check.
The Spain international continued his fine form in the Champions League on Thursday, with his superb double save playing a key role in a goalless draw between Arsenal and Atalanta, another game in which Arteta’s side displayed impressive defensive resilience.
Since the start of last season in the Premier League, they have conceded only 30 goals, while City have conceded 37. Arsenal also lead the way in terms of clean sheets, with 21 goals, while City have conceded 14.
How Arsenal forced Haaland out
Arsenal will be aiming to replicate last season’s defensive performance against City when they clash at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
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On The Football Show, Sky Sports’ Nick Wright looks at the statistics behind Arsenal’s decision to shackle Erling Haaland last season
City failed to score in those games, while also struggling to create chances as Arsenal’s defensive strength was exposed.
In fact, City recorded just 0.48 expected goals in the match at Emirates Stadium in October, the third lowest total in Pep Guardiola’s 308 Premier League matches as manager.
Man City recorded their third-lowest expected goals under Pep Guardiola during their loss to Arsenal in October last season
The scatter graph below shows just how effectively Arsenal pressed their chances. The Gunners were the only team to hold City to less than two expected goals in their two matches, with City managing just 16 shots in total.
Last season, Manchester City struggled to get a lead in matches against Arsenal
Haaland was superbly controlled by William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, who are becoming increasingly strong as a centre-back pairing capable of winning physical battles.
Last season, City’s game against Arsenal was the only game of the entire season in which Haaland was unable to register a single shot, therefore scoring zero for expected goals.
Erling Haaland’s xG per game in the Premier League last season
He had four shots in the goalless draw at the Etihad Stadium, but their combined total was just 0.31 expected goals, well below his average, and none of them were on target.
It was a far cry from last season, when Haaland scored in both games against Arsenal. However, Saliba missed the 4-1 loss at the Etihad due to injury.
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Has Erling Haaland finally found his match in William Saliba?
The Gunners have improved considerably defensively since then, with their success against Haaland last season summed up by a viral clip of Saliba going shoulder to shoulder with the striker at the Emirates and pinning him to the ground.
The incident happened near the half-line but Arsenal are likely to sit deeper at the Etihad Stadium and put more men behind the ball, as in their wins over Spurs and Aston Villa this season, to frustrate Guardiola’s side and further limit Haaland’s influence.
Arsenal have kept an average of 5.8 defenders behind the ball during opposition attacks this season – more than any other team in the Premier League.
Arsenal’s attacking formula
Arsenal have proven their ability to stop Haaland and City, but how can they hurt them at the other end of the field?
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On The Football Show, Sky Sports’ Nick Wright analyses the ways Arsenal can try to hurt Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
The loss of Odegaard’s creativity is a blow, but his teammate Kai Havertz can play a vital role as a target for direct passes.
Last season, the Gunners played more long passes against City than any other opponent, utilising Havertz’s aerial and hold-up ability to bypass City’s pressure and advance them up the field.
Arsenal played more long passes against Manchester City last season than any other team
The effectiveness of this approach was reflected in Gabriel Martinelli’s winning goal at the Emirates, when Havertz set the Brazilian up after a long pass from Thomas Partey.
Arsenal will also look to cause problems on the counter-attack.
City showed weakness on this front in their narrow win over Brentford last weekend, and also in the goalless draw against Inter on Wednesday, when they missed 10 shots in the first half alone, and Simone Inzaghi’s side repeatedly caused problems from fast breaks although they could not capitalise.
Arsenal will aim to be even more ruthless. Their counter-attacking ability helped them win the corner for Gabriel Magalhaes’ decisive goal in the North London derby against Tottenham on Sunday and it’s an area in which they have shown improvement since the start of last season, as evidenced in the graphic below.
Arsenal have the highest shot conversion rate on counter-attacks in the Premier League
Arsenal have converted 19 per cent of shots on counter-attacks in the Premier League over this period, making them the most efficient team in the division, ahead of Aston Villa.
Gabriel’s winning header against Spurs is a reminder of one of his greatest weapons: the set-piece. Since the start of last season, his 24 set-piece goals in the Premier League are unrivalled. So is his set-piece conversion rate, as shown below.
Arsenal also converts the highest percentage of set-piece shots
On Sunday, expect Nicolas Jover, Arsenal’s set-piece coach whom Arteta took over from City, to once again handle dead-ball opportunities for Arsenal from the touchline. They will be a key route to goals, as City are likely to dominate possession.
A future title-winning prospect?
Arteta insisted in an interview that Arsenal are on their way to winning trophies. Sky Sports Held before the North London derby. A positive result against City would boost that optimism.
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta explains why he is optimistic about winning major trophies with Arsenal in an interview with Gary Cotterill
The excitement can be found in the age profile of the current squad. For a team as young as Arsenal to win the title in either of the last two seasons would have been unprecedented.
However, their average age has risen above 26 this season, and their greater experience puts them on a par with title-winning teams of the past.
Arsenal’s average age is higher than in the last two seasons
According to Gary Neville, their performance at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium reflected their experience. “It was a team and a performance that had wisdom,” he said. “Smart, not naïve, not immature – it was the opposite. It was experienced, mature and it was like a team that has won multiple titles.”
Of course, it won’t be easy against the Manchester City machine. Arsenal haven’t won the Premier League crown in two decades. They haven’t won at the Etihad Stadium since 2015. But they will go there with more confidence than in previous years, with the lessons of last season’s meetings fresh in their minds.
Watch Manchester City vs Arsenal match live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 4pm; kick-off 4.30pm
