Sunday afternoon’s featured Premier League game will see Arsenal host defending champions Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium.
The blockbuster encounter will be a re-run of the 2023 Community Shield which saw Mikel Arteta’s Gunners edge the contest and win the season’s first trophy on offer.
However, after losing to Pep Guardiola’s Cityzens in their last 12 league encounters, Arsenal will know that today’s clash is going to be their toughest challenge of the season so far.
Man City are also a wounded animal. After suffering a shock 2-1 defeat against relegation-contenders Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, Guardiola will be determined to ensure his side do not suffer back-to-back Premier League defeats.
As for Arsenal, who remain unbeaten in the league, a win today could see them leapfrog rivals Spurs at the top of the table, so the incentive to take all three points is massive.
And while both sides have a wealth of talent at their disposal, the story of the game’s build-up has been its absentees.
Rodri is suspended after he was sent off for a physical altercation with Morgan Gibbs-White last month and Kevin De Bruyne remains sidelined with a long-term hamstring injury.
Arsenal are without equally as important players too.
Despite earlier reports they could feature, Arteta must find a way to cope without Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka, both of whom recently suffered muscle injuries. Defender Jurrien Timber is also out with the ACL injury he sustained at the start of the season.
Consequently, both sides have named changed starting lineups.
Arsenal lineup vs. Man City
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?? Jorginho in the middle
? Trossard on the wing
? Nketiah leads the lineLet's do this – together ? pic.twitter.com/thTQLhyQVJ
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 8, 2023
Man City lineup vs. Arsenal
Your City team! ?
XI | Ederson, Walker (C), Dias, Ake, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Lewis, Bernardo, Foden, Alvarez, Haaland
SUBS | Ortega Moreno, Phillips, Stones, Grealish, Doku, Gomez, Akanji, Nunes, Bobb#ManCity | @etihad pic.twitter.com/XRfzbmRUKd
— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 8, 2023
Sunday’s crunch match at the Emirates Stadium is scheduled to kick off at 4.30 p.m. (UK time) and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.