CAN Mikel Arteta finally get one over his former mentor Pep Guardiola in the Premier League?
The Arsenal boss has yet to see his side even score a goal against his ex employer in the league – and Manchester City are on a run of 10 wins on the bounce.
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The Gunners have been superb recently but haven’t played since a 5-0 win over Boxing Day because their game with Wolves on December 28 was postponed.
Their recent form is a huge improvement on their first three Premier League games of the season that brought three defeats in a row, including defeat to today’s opponents.
City beat Brentford 1-0 to extend their lead beyond Chelsea to eight points and look on course to defend their crown this term.
Their form of 10 wins in a row is ominous for the rest of the league.
Arsenal will also be without manager Arteta as the Spaniard tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday afternoon.
What time does Arsenal vs Man City kick-off?
- Arsenal’s big clash with Man City will get going from 12.30pm UK time on Saturday, January 1 – TODAY.
- The clash will take place at the Emirates Stadium.
- There will be a full capacity crowd in attendance at the match.
What channel is it and can it be live streamed?
- Arsenal vs Man City will be shown live on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport Ultimate.
- You can live stream the action from the BT Sport app, which is available to download onto your mobile or tablet device.
Team news
Mikel Arteta will not be on the Arsenal bench after returning a positive test for Covid-19.
Calum Chambers, Cedric Soares, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ainsley Maitland-Niles all missed the Boxing Day win over Norwich due to isolation.
And it remains to be seen if Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be brought back in from the cold.
For City, Rodri, John Stones and Kyle Walker all missed the win over Brentford and are doubts for this one with such a fast turnaround.
Jack Grealish and Phil Foden both returned for that game and are expected to feature again.
Odds
- Arsenal – 5/1
- Draw – 18/5
- Man City – 1/2
*Odds courtesy of Betfair and correct at time of publication.
Stay up to date with all the action from the Emirates Stadium in our live blog…
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Arteta absent for Pep reunion
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will be hoping that the new year brings new fortune when it comes to his side facing Manchester City.
The Gunners have lost their last nine games against the reigning Premier League champions, and were thrashed 5-0 in August’s reverse fixture.
However, if the Londoners do somehow come out on top today, Arteta won’t be at the Emirates to witness it, having tested positive for Covid-19 for a second time.
Instead the Spaniard will be isolating at home, and has admitted that he’ll need plenty of space to deal with his frustrations.
He said: “It’s going to be a very strange experience and I will need a big room to walk around because I won’t be able to just sit on my sofa and watch. I’ll be on my own, fully focused because it’s a big, big game and it’s frustrating not to be there.
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City odds-on for another success
Arsenal may have won their last five games, scoring 19 in the process and conceding just twice, but the bookies don’t give them much chance ahead of Manchester City’s arrival.
- Arsenal win 9/2
- Draw 16/5
- Man City win 8/13
Odds from Betfair correct at time of posting.
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Happy New Year to all
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the first Premier League game of 2022, the clash between Arsenal and Manchester City.
City begin the new year as clear leaders having pulled away from Chelsea and Liverpool in December, and will be targeting an 11th straight win as they arrive in London.
Arsenal will be hoping to start this new year as they ended 2021, having clocked up five consecutive victories in all competitions.
And today’s contest will be a mark of just how far Mikel Arteta’s young side have come considering they were dispatched 5-0 at the Etihad back in August.
It’s a 12.30pm kick-off at the Emirates, and we’ll soon have all-important team news as part of our pre-match build-up.
Source: The Sun