Manchester City and Arsenal both look stronger than they did during last season’s epic title battle.
Arsenal certainly have the resources to challenge for the Premier League again and Sunday afternoon’s game looks to be of huge significance, even in September.
After two energy-sapping games at Tottenham and then Atalanta, Mikel Arteta could sit back and aim for a repeat of the goalless draw at the Etihad Stadium in March.
Whether that is the case, we will only know when we see Jorginho’s name on the match sheet beforehand!
Personally I think that sends the wrong message. Arsenal lack the creativity and pressure of Martin Odegaard, but Arteta still has enough talent to cause City problems.
Manchester City are too good for Arsenal to just aim for survival – they are better than last year
Mikel Arteta will send the wrong message if he starts Jorginho (centre) – it will suggest he plans to sit back
Several stars such as Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and William Saliba are said to be joining the City team
Several Arsenal players, including Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and William Saliba, were reportedly included in the City team.
I don’t think anyone in the world, not even Real Madrid, can compete with City for 90 minutes and win.
But Brentford showed last weekend that you can beat the champions by being adventurous at the right times.
If you sit back, Arsenal could be an easy target. This is early in the season, not the spring, and Erling Haaland is fit, energetic and full of fire. Pep Guardiola will be prepared to take risks to win, so Arteta cannot just plan for survival.
I’m not saying Arsenal will win the league, but it wouldn’t surprise me either.
Last season they fell just two points short, which was a huge task. The summer signings they made, plus the return of Jurrien Timber, will be important as the strength of the squad is tested.
Riccardo Calafiori will have no problems in the Premier League. The Italian is robust, physical and versatile, and can play as a centre-back, left-back or as part of a three-man defence.
I saw him at the Euros in the summer and he has authority. He won’t be fazed by playing in a big game for a big club.
Erling Haaland has scored nine goals in four games this season – you can’t sit back
Jurrien Timber has been like a new player since his return from injury and this is a monumental test for him and Arsenal’s depth
Raheem Sterling could get a chance against the club with whom he won four Premier League titles
Timber is like a new signing after last season’s injuries following his expensive transfer from Ajax. He offers the speed and stability at left back that Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu sometimes couldn’t provide. We haven’t seen Raheem Sterling and Mikel Merino properly yet, but both are internationals and have a lot of experience.
We know all about Sterling. Merino is technically gifted and a big strong guy who likes the physical side of the game.
Arsenal’s resilience also gives their fans hope, they have a squad that looks hungry and fighting together.
Their defensive work to beat Spurs was the best I’ve seen in a long time.
Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard love to attack but have improved the other side of their game under Arteta. Their recovery speed is partly why Arsenal are unbeaten in 2024.
Last season Arsenal took four points from City and Liverpool. They know how to win big games. They lost to Fulham, West Ham and Aston Villa but now seem less vulnerable to those surprises.
You would back Arsenal to win the title against any other team. Unfortunately for them, City will also be better this time around as Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne missed parts of last season.
City have a slight advantage in this match, as they play the Champions League at home on Wednesday, with Arsenal playing in Bergamo, Italy 24 hours later.
Mikel Arteta’s side did not concede a single goal against City last season, but the question will be whether they can sit back and simply absorb the pressure.
Manchester City have a slight advantage as they played in the Champions League a day earlier
I predict a 2-1 win for City, which would see them retain their status as title favourites by a small margin.
I know they travel on private jets, but sleep patterns can still be disrupted. At Liverpool, Gerard Houllier would let us stay overnight after games in Europe so we could put our heads down. The players didn’t like that, they wanted to go home, but results improved for the next league games.
I hope Arteta is bolder than he was at the Etihad last season. Arsenal have the quality to thwart City’s defence if they are brave.
If he sits back and Arsenal lose, there will be questions about his approach. I would like Kai Havertz or Trossard to play as a number 10. I think City can win the game 2-1 and remain favourites for the title by the narrowest of margins.
But anyone expecting a one-horse race is way off the mark. Arsenal are the real deal and will push City all the way again.