Arsenal vs Manchester City – Premier League LIVE: Saka is NOT in the Gunners squad due to injury while Guardiola makes three changes from last weekend

Follow Mail Sport’s live blog for all the latest scores, team news and updates from the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal host Manchester City in Premier League action.

Guardiola unsurprised at injuries

Guardiola was asked about whether a Saka-less Arsenal side makes things easier for City, but he remained evasive.

He did however offer another shot at the scheduling, which sees the likes of these two playing three times a week for the majority of the season – at least until December , when things of course ramp up another level for the festive calendar.

‘Saka is an important player and Martinelli is a very important player – it’s the same as Rodri for us.

‘When you have one game a week you can handle it better but when you play so many these things can happen.’

Guardiola points to Rice fee

Rice has been a brilliant coup for the Gunners, that last minute winner of United a month ago will surely live long in the memory for Arsenal fans.

But it’s easy to remember he very nearly ended up in light blue, rather than red.

And Guardiola has offered the hint of a shot at the fee Arsenal splashed out on the then-Hammers skipper.

Check out the story below for more on that one.

Rice the key for Arsenal?

If you want to be considered title contenders, you really should be able to beat your main rivals at least once in 15 attempts. And not lose to them 12 times in a row.

Alas, this is where Arsenal find themselves going into their game against Man City. The Gunners have not beaten City in the Premier League since 2015 and have lost the last dozen.

Yet they will rarely have a better chance of ending that streak than on Sunday with City missing the key cog in their machine.

Check out the link below for more on Rice’s key role today with Rodri out for the visitors.

Half an hour to go…

Half an hour to go now…

Who you backing?

Carragher tips Arsenal for victory

Jamie Carragher has backed Arsenal to emerge victorious when they play host to Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta’s side pushed the Citizens all the way last season, topping the table for 248 days before being being pipped to the post as City secured a historic treble.

The runaway favourites to retain their Premier League title for a fourth-consecutive season this campaign, City raced to the top of the league as the only side with a perfect record after six games, before a defeat ast time out.

Take a look below for more.

Arsenal hoping lightning strikes twice

Arsenal fans will surely be looking at this one with the feeling that they have every chance of inflicting a huge win today – which they very much do.

But as far as the numbers go, City don’t lose back-to-back games.

No, really – it’s been just shy of five years since they lost two on the bounce in the Premier League.

They last did so against Crystal Palace and Leicester in December 2018.

That’s a stupendous record – let’s see if lightning can strike twice, shall we?

Alvarez gets reward for fine form

And just in time for the game, Alvarez has beena warded City’s player of the month for September.

The Argentine has been in red hot form for the Citizens, with four goals and three assists last month, so richly deserved for the youngster!

300 up for Ederson

Not a bad innings from City’s Brazilian keeper Ederson.

He brings up his 300th appearance today – what an astute signing he proved to be!

Strange brag, Guardiola

We all know the history between these two managers, with Guardiola giving Arteta has first big break as his assistant at City.

You’d think for someone who has just won the Treble Guardiola could find a slightly better boast than being a better dresser than Arteta, but the City boss seemed satisfied with his work.

For more on Guardiola’s assessment of his one-time protege, check out the link below.

Arsenal's odd home record

On the subject of Invincibles, no side has gone longer without being beaten thatn Arsenal.

Both the Gunners and fiercest rivals Tottenham are un a run of eight games without defeat after City lost last time out.

What will concern Arteta, though, is the fact that they’ve conceded in front of their own fans in 24 of their last 28 games.

In fact, since the start of last term, the Emirates has seen 68 per cent of all Arsenal’s concessions!

Not exactly what you want from your ‘fortress’.

Arteta says 'records are there to be broken'

Mikel Arteta smiles when asked whether Arsenal organised a small celebration last weekend when Manchester City lost. It does after all preserve a slice of Arsenal history.

The significance, of course, is that Arsenal are the only Invincible club since Preston’s 1888-89 season and, after City’s defeat to Wolves last weekend, will remain so for another year at least.

For if any team can match Arsene Wenger’s team it is surely Pep Guardiola’s centurions and treble winners?

If you want more on Arteta’s thoughts on the lgendary Invincibles, chek out the link below.

City very strong, as always

So no Saka in the squad at all – what do we make of that Gooners?

Martinelli is back on the bench, with Havertz, Partey, Vieira and Smith Rowe all able ot come on and bolster things in midfield.

For the visitors, it feels like they could make 11 changes and still have a title-challenging team.

Haaland is supported by Alvarez, Foden, Bernanrdo Silva – not many defences they wouldn’t penetrate.

Looks like Gvardiol and Kovacic in midfield, with Lewis at left wing, which could be interesting.

And here's the visitors!

Team news for the hosts!

Jorginho starts in midfield, Saka out.

16 without a clean sheet for the Gunners

Sorry to keep going on, Arsenal fans, but the Gunners have actually gone on a run of 16 games against City without keeping a clean sheet now.

Only one team has managed more games scoring against Arsenal (United from 1953 to 1968 managed it 30 times!).

That last clean sheet came under Arsene Wenger in 2015, with a 2-0 away win at the Etihad, a game in which Santi Cazorla produced one of his finest performances in an Arsenal shirt in the middle.

Olivier Giroud – now of goalkeeping fame – was also on the score sheet in that one.

Warm welcome for the hosts

Big chants for Nketiah as he makes his first emergence for the Gunners, but listen to that noise for Saka!

Nice and early from City

City have already arrived nice and early as we’ve seen…

City looking for 13 in a row

We’ve touched on Arsenal’s horrific record in the top-flight against the Citizens, but for City’s it’s another chance to match a feat of their arch-nemesis.

Man United are the only other team to have beaten a team 13 times in a row (Wigan from 2005-2011).

City managed it themselves against West Brom between 2012 and 2018, but they will be relishing to make it two runs to United’s one.

It would also surely prove a significant mental blow to their rivals for the title, too.

Inside both camps ahead of the game

But despite that knock against Lens, Saka is thought to have been cleared for action.

Meanwhile for City, Guardiola has spoken about his side’s need to ‘take chances’ against the Gunners – particulary without their key stars in midfield.

Take a look inside both camps at the links below.

Questions over Saka's inclusion

We’re not long for some team news to find out who will be lining up as these two slug it out.

For City it’s obviously Rodri and De Bruyne’s absences that the hosts will be most pleased about, but there are also anumber of absentees for Arsenal.

Questions marks surround the fitness of star duo Saka and Martinelli, while Partey is edging closer to readiness and Elneny is another that is not too far off.

But Saka, naturally, was the one dominating the questions in midweek – not that Arteta was drawn into a conclusive answer either way.

It's not exactly been a close battle of late

Arsenal have been billed as the unofficical ‘challengers’ to City’s throne once again this season, but the stats don’t exactly make for pleasant reading for Gunners fans…

12 games, 12 defeats, five goals scored and… well… 33 conceded.

Their longest ever losing run against another side in the Premier League era.

It’s not exactly been a closely-fought battle in recent times, has it?

A win in the Community Shield for Arteta’s side will have done wonders for the confidence, though, especially after two bruising defeats last term.

Arsenal's record against City is SHOCKING

Plenty to get through ahead of this one – and what a cracker it is set to be!

As you’d imagine, there’s been plenty said about it in the run up, so without further ado…

Super Sunday is here!

Hello and welcome to Mail Sport’s live blog for this afternoon’s clash at the Emirates – it’s Arsenal vs Man City and it promises to be a cracker.

It’s last season title challengers against the English champions, student vs mentor and second vs third as it stands.

Kick-off is at 4:30pm so stay with us and we’ll keep you up to date with all the build-up, team news and everything in between until the game gets underway in north London.

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