2025-26 Premier League: Week Five – Arsenal vs Man City

Arsenal host Manchester City in a blockbuster heavyweight Premier League showdown. 

Victory will lift Arsenal back up to second in the table, whilst Man City can go as high as fourth with a win depending on results earlier in the day.

 

Team News

Arsenal could be without Ben White (knee) and Martin Odegaard (shoulder) subject to late fitness checks, after the pair missed their 2-0 Champions League win at Athletic Bilbao.

Bukayo Saka (hamstring), Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus (both knee) remain sidelined.

Man City have no fresh injury concerns to report following their 2-0 Champions League victory against Napoli.

John Stones (muscle), Kalvin Phillips (Achilles), Rayan Cherki (hamstring), Omar Marmoush (unspecified), Rayan Ait-Nouri (ankle) and Mateo Kovacic (Achilles) are ruled out.

 

When is Kick-Off?

Arsenal host Man City at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday 21 September at 4:30pm BST, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Premier League channels in the UK.

 

Stat Attack

• Arsenal are unbeaten in their last four league meetings against Man City (W2, D2)
• Man City have avoided defeat in seven of their last nine league trips to Arsenal (W6, D1, L2).
• City’s Erling Haaland scored in both appearances against Arsenal last season (D1, L1).
• Viktor Gyokeres has scored three goals in Arsenal’s two home games this season (W2), in which the Gunners scored eight goals without conceding.
• Haaland has scored three of City’s five away goals this season (W1, L1).

 

Prediction

Having been ruthless in their first two home games of the league campaign and kept clean sheets in both games, Arsenal certainly can come into this game believing that they can inflict more woe on City if they are more tidier in their final touches than they were in Bilbao.

Man City meanwhile roasted Napoli with a brutally ruthless display as there is no other word to describe their attacking dominance in that game, but the main thing is that they didn’t pick up any serious injuries especially with considerable less preparation time for this clash than Arsenal.

Either way this is a difficult one to call because Arsenal have proven tough to break down at home, yet City have found form in their last two matches so this could be quite a fierce battle and a draw might be a fair result.

Prediction: Arsenal 2-2 Man City