Arsenal take on Manchester City in the Premier League this weekend, in a rivalry increasing in importance as the two clubs compete for honours.
Last season, Arsenal emerged as City’s closest challenger in the Premier League title race, leading the league for much of the campaign before faltering during the run-in. Mikel Arteta’s team, narrowly top of the division again, will be keen to send a statement with a win at the Etihad this weekend.
Ahead of the clash, we’ve remembered five of the most memorable matches between the teams in the Premier League era.
Five of the best games between Arsenal and Manchester City:
Manchester City 1-5 Arsenal (2003)
Arsenal handed Manchester City a harsh lesson as the defending champions ran riot at Maine Road during the 2002/03 campaign.
The Gunners had won a domestic double under Arsene Wenger the previous season and swept aside Kevin Keegan’s team, who were making their return to the Premier League after promotion.
Dennis Bergkamp opened the scoring inside four minutes as the champions took an early lead, one that would be extended fourfold inside the opening 19 minutes. Robert Pires and the irresistible Thierry Henry made it three after 15 minutes before Sol Campbell got in on the act with a fourth four minutes later.
Patrick Vieira added a fifth after the break and a late goal from former Arsenal forward Nicolas Anelka was little consolation for the Citizens.
“You look at yourself and ask if it is really happening,” City defender Steve Howey said at full-time.
“When they play like that you just can’t stop them. It’s awful. There are players coming at you from every direction. You stop Henry and there’s Pires. Or Bergkamp. Or Wiltord. You can stop one or two but you can’t stop them all”.
Manchester City 4-2 Arsenal (2009)
A clash defined by that celebration.
Emmanuel Adebayor embarked on a provocative length-of-the-pitch run to goad the travelling Arsenal supporters, after scoring against his former team in Manchester City’s 4-2 win at the Etihad.
The Togolese striker had left Arsenal under a cloud during the summer to sign for City and revelled in making a difference as his new side beat his old employers in a thriller.
Robin van Persie had cancelled out Micah Richards’ opener for the home side, but the Citizens took control of the contest with three goals in 11 second-half minutes. Craig Bellamy turned in the second before Adebayor’s moment arrived as he headed home a Shaun Wright-Phillips cross.
Adebayor was booked for his controversial celebration, though had the last laugh as Wright-Phillips added a fourth for the home side. Tomas Rosicky pulled one back for Arsenal late on but it was the big-spending Blues who opened the campaign with a fourth consecutive league win.
Manchester City 6-3 Arsenal (2013)
Manchester City sent a statement of intent to their title rivals after humiliating league leaders Arsenal in December 2013.
The north Londoners arrived at Eastlands with confidence and a narrow lead at the top of the table, though returned to the capital well-beaten after a nine-goal thriller. Arsenal cancelled out Sergio Aguero’s early goal through Theo Walcott, only for Alvaro Negredo to restore City’s lead before the break.
Fernandinho extended the advantage with his first goal for Manchester City before Walcott scored his second to bring the Gunners back into the game. Manuel Pellegrini’s City were a team boasting real firepower, however, and goals from David Silva and a second for Fernandinho put the free-scoring hosts 5-2 ahead.
Cool, calm & collected, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 🌟#EmiratesFACup #ARSMCI pic.twitter.com/Skjo5q9OmN
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) July 18, 2020
Per Mertesacker’s stoppage-time header added some respect to the scoreline for Arsenal, though there was still time for Yaya Toure to slam in a sixth for City from the penalty spot.
The Citizens went on to be crowned champions and scored 156 goals in all competitions, breaking the previous record of 143 goals set by Manchester United in 1956/57.
Arsenal 2-0 Manchester City (2020)
The apprentice outwitted the master as Arsenal beat Manchester City in the 2020 FA Cup semi-finals. Mikel Arteta had departed the City coaching staff to take charge at Arsenal earlier in the campaign and ensured his debut season ended with a cup final appearance after a 2-0 win at Wembley.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the match-winner for the Gunners with a brilliant brace, making amends for missing a one-against-one when he ghosted in behind Kyle Walker to steer in Nicolas Pepe’s cross at the back post.
Cool, calm & collected, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 🌟#EmiratesFACup #ARSMCI pic.twitter.com/Skjo5q9OmN
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) July 18, 2020
The Arsenal forward added a second to seal the win on 71 minutes when he beat the offside trap to race in behind and roll a composed finish past Ederson. Aubameyang went on to score twice more in the final win over Chelsea as Arteta won his first silverware in north London.
Manchester City 4-1 Arsenal (2023)
Manchester City produced a stunning performance to take control of the Premier League title race, as the champions reduced the gap on leaders Arsenal with a 4-1 win at the Etihad.
Arsenal had led the title race for almost the entire campaign, but City found another gear over the run-in to hunt the Gunners down. Their clash was viewed as a pivotal moment in the season and it was City who delivered a telling blow in their title fight, as Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne combined to devastating effect.
De Bruyne scored twice, including an opener of perfect precision, with John Stones and Haaland also on target in an emphatic win from Pep Guardiola’s side.
It was one-sided and dominant from the defending champions, who moved within two points of Arsenal with two games in hand. From there, it was only going to end in one outcome as another Premier League crown headed to Manchester.
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