Arsenal vs Manchester City saw the defending Premier League champions continue their march towards back-to-back titles but it wasn’t easy (live on Saturday at 7:30 am ET, on USA and online via NBCSports.com).
ARSENAL vs MANCHESTER CITY STREAM LIVE
Pep Guardiola and Co., made it 10 straight victories on Wednesday (the fourth time they’ve done in his four and a half seasons in Manchester), as they went eight points clear of 2nd-place Chelsea and nine above 3rd-place Liverpool. The Reds have a game in hand, but won’t play until after Manchester City have already played again. A win over the Gunners would increase the gap to a potentially insurmountable 12 points. After scoring 17 goals in three games against Leeds (7), Newcastle (4) and Leicester (6), Brentford posed a challenging defensive test on Wednesday, but Phil Foden scored the lone goal on a brilliant ball from Kevin De Bruyne, proving yet again they can win under any and all circumstances.
As for Arsenal, the Gunners are winners of four straight (with 14 goals scored and just one conceded) since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was suspended and stripped of the captaincy. In his absence, youngsters Emile Smith Rowe (three goals), Bukayo Saka (three goals, two assists) and Gabriel Martinelli (three goals, on assist) have more than proven themselves as the building blocks for a bright future in north London. Manchester City will be a difficult litmus test, but it comes in the right moment for Arsenal. Manager Mikel Arteta will, however, miss Saturday’s reunion with Guardiola, his former mentor, after testing positive for COVID-19 this week.
[ MORE: How to watch PL in the USA ]
Here is everything you need to know ahead of Arsenal vs Manchester City this Saturday with team news, odds, stream link and more.
Analysis of Arsenal vs Manchester City - By Joe Prince-Wright
- Arsenal fuming over VAR calls
- Guardiola says Arsenal ‘better’ as Man City ‘tired’
- 3 things we learned analysis
FULL TIME: What a wild end to a very entertaining game. Arsenal will feel very hard done by on the VAR calls and took the game to a sluggish Man City. But that is the kind of result that wins you titles. As for Arsenal, they’re moving in the right direction but they need to cut out silly mistakes at big moments.
🤯 Rodri wins it in stoppage time for Manchester City at Arsenal! Very, very harsh on Arsenal. What an intense game to start 2022. #AFC 1-2 #MCFC #ARSMCI pic.twitter.com/t2ofZ8gM60
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) January 1, 2022
GOALLLL! Rodri wins it in the 93rd minute. The City players go wild. Rodri celebrates in front of the Arsenal fans, who are far from happy with him. A wild ending to a wild game.
Eight minutes to go. Arsenal holding things together admirably. Man City haven’t been able to create any clear-cut chances.
10-man Arsenal hanging in there. Man City seeing a lot of the ball. If Arsenal hold on, this would be a great point. 15 minutes to go.
RED CARD! Gabriel given a second yellow card as he clatters into Gabriel Jesus on the halfway line. From dominating the game, Arsenal are now pegged back and down to 10 men.
After a goal line clearance and a shot off the post, Arsenal go down to 10 men after Gabriel receives his second yellow card in two minutes.
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) January 1, 2022
These past 10 minutes have been chaos 😅
📺: @USA_Network #ARSMCI #MyPLMorning pic.twitter.com/RI3rl59kZf
CLEARANCE! What a clearance off his own line from Nathan Ake, as Aymeric Laporte almost scores an own goal. Incredible defensive clearance.
GOALLLL! Riyad Mahrez slams home the penalty kick to make it 1-1. Game on.
PENALTY KICK - Granit Xhaka takes down Bernardo Silva in the box, but the Man City midfielder is told to get up. However, after a VAR check a penalty is given. Xhaka and the Arsenal players surround the referee and are incredibly angry about the decision. Xhaka dragged down Silva.
After review, the call on the field is overturned and Manchester City is awarded a penalty.
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) January 1, 2022
📺: @USA_Network #ARSMCI #MyPLMorning pic.twitter.com/55vGTUadrd
HALF TIME: That was a spectacular first half. Arsenal excellent. Manchester City lackluster. The Gunners totally deserve their lead.
Gabriel Martinelli twice goes close as he curls just wide and forces Ederson into a save. Arsenal so dangerous on the break and Man City just can’t get going.
GOALLL! Bukayo Saka puts Arsenal ahead after a lovely flowing move. That is some goal from Arsenal, as Ben White won the ball back and started an attack which ended with Saka sweeping home. The Emirates goes wild.
What a start to 2022 for Arsenal!
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) January 1, 2022
It's the wonderkid Saka with the goal!
📺: @USA_Network #ARSMCI #MyPLMorning pic.twitter.com/IBIkA8rJNr
Ederson just got to the ball first as Martin Odegaard went down in the box. No penalty kick was given on the pitch, and after a VAR check.
Early on Ruben Dias and Gabriel Jesus have both had headers off target from close range, but the big moment was a VAR call...
Arsenal team news, injuries, lineup (INJURY REPORT)
OUT: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (club disciplinary matter - MORE), Calum Chambers (COVID-19), Eddie Nketiah (COVID-19), Sead Kolasinac (ankle)
Our first starting XI of 2022…
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 1, 2022
🇯🇵 Tomiyasu returns
🏴 @BukayoSaka87 starts
🇧🇷 @gabimartinelli in attack #ARSMCI 🔴 pic.twitter.com/lzpk9JG7tY
Manchester City team news, injuries, lineup
OUT: John Stones (knock), Kyle Walker (fitness), Ferran Torres (foot), Benjamin Mendy (suspension - MORE), Liam Delap (ankle)
📋 TEAM NEWS 📋
— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 1, 2022
XI | Ederson, Cancelo, Dias (C), Laporte, Ake, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Sterling, Jesus, Mahrez
SUBS | Steffen, Walker, Gundogan, Grealish, Fernandinho, Kayky, Mbete, Palmer, McAtee#ManCity | @HaysTechnology pic.twitter.com/zpVCBPxcsZ
Odds and ends (full odds provided by our partner, PointsBet)
Arsenal (+475) | Manchester City (-200) | Draw (+350)
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Prediction
Arsenal won’t be beaten 5-0 again by Manchester City (probably), as this is a squad presently playing with pride and confidence. The problem is: Any improvements they have made since that meeting in August, Manchester City have equalled (or surpassed) in the same time. Arsenal 1-3 Manchester City.
How to watch Arsenal vs Manchester City, stream live and start time
Kickoff: 7:30 am ET Saturday
TV: USA
Online: Stream via NBCSports.com