Man City hold key advantage over Arsenal heading into Premier League test

Manchester City travel to north London this afternoon for their biggest match of the Premier League season so far. Arsenal were their title rivals across the whole of last season and start today's match just a point behind City in the league table despite Pep Guardiola's side winning their first six out of seven matches.

The Blues won both of the encounters last season, which proved to be pivotal in them retaining the league title and going on to win a historic Treble. Arsenal then spent big money to strengthen in the summer, recruiting the likes of Declan Rice and Kai Havertz, and Mikel Arteta will be hoping to provide an even stronger challenge this season.

City will be without the suspended Rodri and the injured John Stones, while the Gunners are waiting on the fitness of Bukayo Saka. We've looked at the big talking points for the Emirates clash ...

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Pep Guardiola said that even if his team had recorded a third straight defeat in midweek his confidence in them would not have faltered, and while the Manchester City manager can exaggerate in interviews this comment was dead right. City's reputation precedes them, meaning that it takes a lot more than a few defeats to raise question marks over the team.

That is certainly not the case at many clubs in the league, and for all the credit Mikel Arteta has among Arsenal fans and executives a home defeat to the Premier League champions will make it seem more of an uphill battle to wrestle the title away from them.

City are already a point ahead of the Gunners and while four would be easy to make up over the