Arsenal’s quest to reclaim the Premier League title for the first time since 2004 faces its toughest challenge yet, as they travel to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday to take on reigning champions Manchester City.
A win for Pep Guardiola’s side, led by the unstoppable and informed Erling Haaland, could see them go five points clear at the top of the table.
The Gunners have enjoyed a strong start to the 2024/25 season, taking 10 points from their first four games, including a win over North London rivals Tottenham last weekend despite an injury-hit squad.
However, City have been flawless so far, winning every game and cementing their reputation as favourites to seal a fifth consecutive Premier League crown.
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Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side managed to stifle City’s attack in two meetings last season, holding them to a goalless draw in one encounter. Despite that, Arsenal fell short, finishing second behind City for the second year running. This time, many fans believe Arsenal have what it takes to end their 21-year title drought, dating back to Arsene Wenger’s “Invincibles” season.
Manchester City remain the biggest obstacle in Arsenal’s path, and the challenge is intensified by Haaland’s record-breaking form. The Norwegian striker has already netted nine goals in four matches this season, powering City’s early dominance. But Arsenal are close behind, trailing by just two points, and have shown their mettle with impressive away victories against Aston Villa and Tottenham.
Arsenal’s defence has been the bedrock of their strong start. The partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes at center-back is earning comparisons to some of the Premier League’s greatest defensive duos, while goalkeeper David Raya has been in sensational form. In five matches across all competitions, Arsenal have conceded just one goal, which came when they were reduced to 10 men against Brighton.
Saliba, reflecting on Arsenal’s ambitions, said, “Winning this Premier League is not easy, but when you finish twice second, you want to win. We will give everything because we don’t want to finish second or third again. We want to win this league.”
Last season, Arsenal held City to a 0-0 draw at the Etihad in March but couldn’t maintain their form in the title race. City, relentless as ever, won their final nine games to snatch the crown by two points. Arteta knows the scale of the task ahead, describing City as “the most consistent ever in Premier League history, not only in terms of results but in terms of dominance.”
Saliba and Gabriel will be key in Arsenal’s attempt to keep Haaland quiet. The Norwegian striker didn’t manage a single shot on target in last season’s two meetings against the Arsenal defensive duo. In 65 Premier League games together, Saliba and Gabriel have kept 30 clean sheets, conceding only 51 goals.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher praised the pair, saying, “Provided they stay together, we will eventually reference Saliba and Gabriel in the same breath as Chelsea’s John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho, and Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.”
However, for Arsenal to reach that elite status, they must start winning trophies. A victory at the Etihad, ending City’s near two-year unbeaten run at home, would send a powerful message that this year’s title race could have a different outcome.
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