Arsenal 0-0 Man City – Premier League LIVE: Champions make a bright start at the Emirates

Arsenal struggling to break up City attacks as they enter the final third is something that could come back to haunt them soon.

Walker gets a cros in from the right after Rice and Zinchenko make a mess of mopping up, but Raya comes out to claim.

Raya and Arsenal continue to play with fire, and if anything the goalkeeper just looks a little forced when passing his way out from the back.

Ramsdale definitely edges the Brentford loanee for confidence in the bigger games, judging by current evidence.

No further mistakes, but you just feel like one is looming.

First booking of the game shown to Jorginho for pulling Foden back out on the attacking left.

Jesus wins a corner off Gvardiol after smashing it into the Croatian.

In it comes from captain Odegaard to the near post, but Nketiah can’t trouble Ederson.

City look to break but Jorginho mops up and retains the ball, before White is called offside.

Arsenal starting to get a rub of the green a little more, and have enjoyed a foray into the visitors’ half, which has yielded a few throw ins, but no major chances yet.

Arsenal happy to play around the back, but Zinchenko loses the ball high up on the left to hand the ball back to his old club.

For two high quality sides in possession, it’s been a little tetchy on the ball.

Lovely bit of composure and footwork sees Saliba give Haaland the slip.

And just like that City should be 1-0 up.

From that Rice mistake the corner comes into the back post, but Raya is well out of position, allowing Gvardiol a shot on goal, which is cleared by Rice.

The ball comes back in and Saliba puts enough pressure on Ake to save Raya’s blushes.

Lax pass out the back from Raya goes straight to Gvardiol, but after recovering the ball Rice can only find touch with a ball of his own.

Cagey start from the hosts.

Slow start here so far, as City start to take their first touches of the ball – not sure many Gunners players have had a look-in since a David Raya goal kick a few seconds in.

City still firmly in their own half, but dominating the first two minutes or so of possession.

After the players take the knee, we get underway!

Here comes North London Forever, the Gunners new anthem…

Rousing stuff when it’s sung by 60,000-odd fans.

Well they’re lining up in the tunnel now, and there’s a fearsome noise brewing away in the Emirates.

Out they come, and there’s a real intensity to the faces of all 22 players, deep in concentration ahead of what is set to be an enormous clash of the titans.

A sixth successive start for David Raya – is this an end to the Raya-Ramsdale debate.

It looks like Arteta has made his decision, but Ramsdale will be sure to prove his worth every second in training to try and claw his way back into the fold.

Micah Richards wasted no time in singling out Julian Alvarez for praise ahead of kick-off.

‘When he came in, I thought how are they going to get Haaland and him in the same team and both be productive? He plays in that No 10 role, links up very well.

‘He has been the standout for me. His touches around the box, his passing, his intelligence.

‘When you’ve got someone like Haaland taking all the plaudits, he just comes in, does his stuff under the radar. But he’s been fantastic this season.’

A first start of the season today in the Premier League for Jorginho.

Plenty of experience in the big games – and coming up against former team-mate Kovacic… could he have something up his sleeve from their time on the training ground?

Twelve in a row must rankle for a man who named the training ground dog Win. Twelve defeats against the club he left to manage Arsenal and the club he made it his mission to catch. Seven were on his watch.

The mood inside the Emirates Stadium will be buoyant, with Declan Rice growing with each game of his new role as their £105million talisman and City suffering what by their incredible standards must go down as a form dip.

Link below for more on that one.

Guardiola was asked about whether a Saka-less Arsenal side makes things easier for City, but he remained evasive.

He did however offer another shot at the scheduling, which sees the likes of these two playing three times a week for the majority of the season – at least until December , when things of course ramp up another level for the festive calendar.

‘Saka is an important player and Martinelli is a very important player – it’s the same as Rodri for us.

‘When you have one game a week you can handle it better but when you play so many these things can happen.’

Rice has been a brilliant coup for the Gunners, that last minute winner of United a month ago will surely live long in the memory for Arsenal fans.

But it’s easy to remember he very nearly ended up in light blue, rather than red.

And Guardiola has offered the hint of a shot at the fee Arsenal splashed out on the then-Hammers skipper.

Check out the story below for more on that one.

If you want to be considered title contenders, you really should be able to beat your main rivals at least once in 15 attempts. And not lose to them 12 times in a row.

Alas, this is where Arsenal find themselves going into their game against Man City. The Gunners have not beaten City in the Premier League since 2015 and have lost the last dozen.

Check out the link below for more on Rice’s key role today with Rodri out for the visitors.

Mikel Arteta‘s side pushed the Citizens all the way last season, topping the table for 248 days before being being pipped to the post as City secured a historic treble.

The runaway favourites to retain their Premier League title for a fourth-consecutive season this campaign, City raced to the top of the league as the only side with a perfect record after six games, before a defeat ast time out.

Take a look below for more.

Arsenal fans will surely be looking at this one with the feeling that they have every chance of inflicting a huge win today – which they very much do.

But as far as the numbers go, City don’t lose back-to-back games.

No, really – it’s been just shy of five years since they lost two on the bounce in the Premier League.

They last did so against Crystal Palace and Leicester in December 2018.

That’s a stupendous record – let’s see if lightning can strike twice, shall we?

And just in time for the game, Alvarez has beena warded City’s player of the month for September.

The Argentine has been in red hot form for the Citizens, with four goals and three assists last month, so richly deserved for the youngster!

Not a bad innings from City’s Brazilian keeper Ederson.

He brings up his 300th appearance today – what an astute signing he proved to be!

We all know the history between these two managers, with Guardiola giving Arteta has first big break as his assistant at City.

You’d think for someone who has just won the Treble Guardiola could find a slightly better boast than being a better dresser than Arteta, but the City boss seemed satisfied with his work.

For more on Guardiola’s assessment of his one-time protege, check out the link below.

On the subject of Invincibles, no side has gone longer without being beaten thatn Arsenal.

Both the Gunners and fiercest rivals Tottenham are un a run of eight games without defeat after City lost last time out.

What will concern Arteta, though, is the fact that they’ve conceded in front of their own fans in 24 of their last 28 games.

In fact, since the start of last term, the Emirates has seen 68 per cent of all Arsenal’s concessions!

Not exactly what you want from your ‘fortress’.

Mikel Arteta smiles when asked whether Arsenal organised a small celebration last weekend when Manchester City lost. It does after all preserve a slice of Arsenal history.

The significance, of course, is that Arsenal are the only Invincible club since Preston’s 1888-89 season and, after City’s defeat to Wolves last weekend, will remain so for another year at least.

If you want more on Arteta’s thoughts on the lgendary Invincibles, chek out the link below.

So no Saka in the squad at all – what do we make of that Gooners?

Martinelli is back on the bench, with Havertz, Partey, Vieira and Smith Rowe all able ot come on and bolster things in midfield.

For the visitors, it feels like they could make 11 changes and still have a title-challenging team.

Haaland is supported by Alvarez, Foden, Bernanrdo Silva – not many defences they wouldn’t penetrate.

Looks like Gvardiol and Kovacic in midfield, with Lewis at left wing, which could be interesting.

Jorginho starts in midfield, Saka out.

Sorry to keep going on, Arsenal fans, but the Gunners have actually gone on a run of 16 games against City without keeping a clean sheet now.

Only one team has managed more games scoring against Arsenal (United from 1953 to 1968 managed it 30 times!).

That last clean sheet came under Arsene Wenger in 2015, with a 2-0 away win at the Etihad, a game in which Santi Cazorla produced one of his finest performances in an Arsenal shirt in the middle.

Olivier Giroud – now of goalkeeping fame – was also on the score sheet in that one.

Big chants for Nketiah as he makes his first emergence for the Gunners, but listen to that noise for Saka!

City have already arrived nice and early as we’ve seen…

We’ve touched on Arsenal’s horrific record in the top-flight against the Citizens, but for City’s it’s another chance to match a feat of their arch-nemesis.

Man United are the only other team to have beaten a team 13 times in a row (Wigan from 2005-2011).

City managed it themselves against West Brom between 2012 and 2018, but they will be relishing to make it two runs to United’s one.

It would also surely prove a significant mental blow to their rivals for the title, too.

But despite that knock against Lens, Saka is thought to have been cleared for action.

Meanwhile for City, Guardiola has spoken about his side’s need to ‘take chances’ against the Gunners – particulary without their key stars in midfield.

Take a look inside both camps at the links below.

We’re not long for some team news to find out who will be lining up as these two slug it out.

For City it’s obviously Rodri and De Bruyne’s absences that the hosts will be most pleased about, but there are also anumber of absentees for Arsenal.

Questions marks surround the fitness of star duo Saka and Martinelli, while Partey is edging closer to readiness and Elneny is another that is not too far off.

But Saka, naturally, was the one dominating the questions in midweek – not that Arteta was drawn into a conclusive answer either way.

Arsenal have been billed as the unofficical ‘challengers’ to City’s throne once again this season, but the stats don’t exactly make for pleasant reading for Gunners fans…

12 games, 12 defeats, five goals scored and… well… 33 conceded.

Their longest ever losing run against another side in the Premier League era.

It’s not exactly been a closely-fought battle in recent times, has it?

A win in the Community Shield for Arteta’s side will have done wonders for the confidence, though, especially after two bruising defeats last term.

Plenty to get through ahead of this one – and what a cracker it is set to be!

As you’d imagine, there’s been plenty said about it in the run up, so without further ado…

Hello and welcome to Mail Sport’s live blog for this afternoon’s clash at the Emirates – it’s Arsenal vs Man City and it promises to be a cracker.

It’s last season title challengers against the English champions, student vs mentor and second vs third as it stands.

Kick-off is at 4:30pm so stay with us and we’ll keep you up to date with all the build-up, team news and everything in between until the game gets underway in north London.