Arsenal vs Manchester City preview, team news, odds and lineups

Arsenal and Manchester City are set to face off in a highly anticipated Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium on September 21 at 4:30 PM Nigerian time.

This Round 5 fixture will be officiated by Stuart Attwell and brings together two title contenders in what could be an early-season defining moment. Second-placed Arsenal will look to maintain their strong start against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, who currently sit eighth in the table after an inconsistent opening to their campaign.

Arsenal (4-3-3, Mikel Arteta)
Goalkeeper: David Raya (1)
Defence: Jurrien Timber (12), William Saliba (2), Gabriel (6), Riccardo Calafiori (33)
Midfield: Mikel Merino (23), Martin Zubimendi (36), Declan Rice (41)
Forward: Noni Madueke (20), Viktor Gyoekeres (14), Gabriel Martinelli (11)
Absent: Gabriel Jesus (9), Kai Havertz (29)
Doubtful: Ben White (4), Bukayo Saka (7), Martin Odegaard (8)

Manchester City (4-1-4-1, Pep Guardiola)
Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma (25)
Defence: Abdukodir Khusanov (45), Ruben Dias (3), Josko Gvardiol (24), Nico O'Reilly (33)
Midfield: Rodri (16), Bernardo Silva (20), Tijjani Reijnders (4), Phil Foden (47), Jeremy Doku (11)
Forward: Erling Haaland (9)
Absent: Mateo Kovacic (8), Rayan Ait Nouri (21), Rayan Cherki (10), Omar Marmoush (7)
Doubtful: John Stones (5)

Arsenal enter this fixture in excellent form, having won four of their last five matches across all competitions. The Gunners secured an impressive 2:0 away victory against Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League on September 16, following a commanding 3:0 win over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on September 13 where Viktor Gyoekeres found the net. Their only setback came in a narrow 1:0 defeat at Liverpool on August 31.

Before that, Arsenal demolished Leeds United 5:0 on August 23, with Gyoekeres scoring twice, including a penalty, and started their campaign with a 1:0 win at Manchester United on August 17. Manchester City, meanwhile, have been less consistent, winning three and losing two of their last five. They defeated SSC Napoli 2:0 in the Champions League on September 18 and thrashed local rivals Manchester United 3:0 on September 14, with Erling Haaland scoring twice.

However, they suffered consecutive league defeats before that, losing 2:1 at Brighton on August 31 despite Haaland scoring, and 2:0 at home to Tottenham on August 23. They began their season with a convincing 4:0 win at Wolves on August 16, with Haaland netting twice. Arsenal currently sit second in the Premier League with 9 points, while City are eighth with 6 points, making this a crucial early-season encounter.