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The tide has turned over the last five matches between Arsenal and Manchester City. In terms of Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola's relationship, the student has truly become the master.
Arsenal have started pretty well this season despite having a difficult set of fixtures at the start of the campaign. Defeat away at Liverpool aside, the Gunners have taken maximum points from the three other matches they've played in the Premier League.
Manchester City come to the Emirates in a poor run of form. Arsenal know that only victory is really enough to keep the pressure on Liverpool at the top. Although it's still too early in the season to talk about six-pointers or title deciders, Sunday's match does have the feel of that about it.
Let's begin our journey through recent matches at the Etihad in April 2024. Arsenal were top of the league but in a slump at an important time of the season. Five points clear going into the match, this was billed as a title decider in the build up. Although they had two games in hand, Guardiola knew that Arsenal were starting to wobble.
Manchester City 4-1 Arsenal - 26th April 2023
The script was written for Kevin De Bruyne to put City back in the title race driving seat. Back to their brilliant best, City tore through Arteta's men at will.
De Bruyne put the home side ahead after just seven minutes after great link up play with Erling Haaland. De Bruyne's finish from just outside the penalty area was world class, hard and low past Ramsdale.
Haaland and De Bruyne ran Arsenal ragged and it was only through the efforts of Ramsdale and some poor finishing that City didn't go in to the break four or five up. They did get another on the stroke of half-time, John Stones heading home from a free-kick.
The contest was effectively over when De Bruyne added a third courtesy of a low right footed finish after Haaland had put him in again.
Haaland capped a quite perfect City performance with a goal of his own before Rob Holding pulled one back for the visitors.
City had reduced the gap at the top to just two points and they still had two games in hand over the Gunners. By the next time Arsenal played, at home to Chelsea, Guardiola's men were back on top and they never looked back.