It’s Arsenal v Man City, Mikel v Pep, first v second.
Nothing will be decided tonight but this could go a long way to swinging momentum one way or another in this title race.
2 mins: Sharp start from Arsenal, Nketiah having an effort blocked before Xhaka hammers a strike over the bar.
Silva looks to be floating around the left-back position – Saka has got to fancy his chances tonight if that remains the case.
5 mins: Dias catches Nketiah late, that will be a free-kick. Clumsy at best. Decent position for Odegaard to put something into the box here.
Such a high line from City, and Arsenal can’t find a way past as De Bruyne heads away. Back to Odegaard and he slices the second cross straight out of play. Not his best.
7 mins: Haaland bulldozes his way through Gabriel and Zinchenko, slides the ball through to Mahrez. His cut back is intercepted by Jorginho, well-read in his own box.
Arsenal then went a free-kick, as Silva goes in on Saka. Played waved on, and City win a corner. Arteta absolutely furious and he has a case judging by the replays.
Corner comes to nothing, which is a relief for Arteta’s health.
9 mins: Arsenal getting time on the ball at the back, City happy enough to let Saliba and Gabriel have it.
Silva up against Saka already looks a real mismatch, he slides in again and this time a free-kick is given. He cannot deal with Saka in the early stages.
There are gaps there for both sides to exploit.
Arsenal cut out a pass in midfield and set up Eddie Nketiah for a shot that is blocked by Ruben Dias.
No chances yet for either side, but there’s a real intensity to the match.
Gabriel under real pressure at the back, finds Zinchenko though and Arsenal are away down the left. Loose pass though and the chance goes.
Arsenal win it back, Jorginho has space to drive into. Slides it through to Nketiah, his shot is blocked by Dias.
13 mins: Arsenal fans screaming for a penalty, whistle goes… for a free-kick to Man City.
Certainly no penalty, cross comes in and Ake dives low to head it away. Referee has penalised Nketiah for a high boot, but Ake was pretty much at ankle level.
Bernardo Silva is dropping to left-back when City are out of possession, where he is up against Bukayo Saka. Madness or genius from Pep Guardiola?
Arsenal, meanwhile, have a brilliant left-back in Oleksandr Zinchenko…sold to them by City in the summer.
16 mins: Brilliant from Zinchenko to dance away from the challenges, Jorginho passes it straight to a blue shirt though.
City counter through Mahrez, cuts inside onto that left foot and whips a cross to the back post. Haaland is there, can’t direct the effort at goal. That’s a very decent chance.
18 mins: Turner briefly warming up on the touchline, as Ramsdale goes down and takes his boot off. Heel looks to be the problem.
Gives Arteta the chance to call all of his players over for a quick team talk, never one to miss out on an opportunity.
Ramsdale is back up and looks fine to continue. Huge cheers as Haaland drives forward and is swiftly halted by a strong challenge from Zinchenko.
A scare for Arsenal there after Ramsdale went down. He seems okay for now and has indicated as much to the bench.
Matt Turner, the back-up goalkeeper, is not warming up – which is a good sign.
Arsenal 0-0 Man City
22 mins: Martinelli has Xhaka free on the overlap, slides it wide to him. Cross in is cleared away.
Comes back to Zinchenko, sensational cross and Nketiah is free in the middle… MASSIVE CHANCE!
Wow. He had to score really. Heads it wide, Ederson was getting nowhere near that.
23 mins: Arsenal on the charge now, fans are up after that Nketiah chance.
Martinelli swings the corner in, Gabriel down in the middle but not getting anything for that. Odegaard then slaps a shot into the mass of bodies.
GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Manchester City | Kevin De Bruyne 24′
CITY TAKE THE LEAD!
Arsenal have absolutely gifted City the opening goal. Awful backpass from Tomiyasu, De Bruyne pounces with Ramsdale out of position and he lifts the shot into the empty net.
27 mins: Silva brings Saka down yet again, the Arsenal man lets the referee know it’s the third foul. Yellow card isn’t coming out though.
Arsenal have got to keep getting the ball to Saka, Silva in huge problems whenever he’s one-on-one with the Englishman.
28 mins: That would been some response!
Cross deflected and loops up to Tomiyasu, running onto it 12 yards out but he volleys it well over the bar. Didn’t ever look comfortable with that.
The referee already warned Ederson about time wasting with the goal kick.
30 mins: Glorious Arsenal move, Odegaard slides it wide to Saka. He’s in on goal, takes way too long to get a shot away though as Ake slides in… chance goes. Arteta not impressed on the touchline.
Another goal kick for City, Ederson taking an age. Referee calls captain Gundogan over for a word this time.
32 mins: Atmosphere getting better and better as frustrations grow in the stands.
Martinelli gives Walker a nudge in the air and that will be a free-kick. Correct decision from Anthony Taylor, even if the Arsenal fans don’t like it at all.
Break in play as Kyle Walker gets treatment.
Tomiyasu goes for a drink and Arteta has a word with him, before ruffling his hair.
34 mins: Here is the first yellow card of the match, and it goes to Walker. Looks like it might have been for coming back onto the pitch too early after his treatment.
City have sat back since taking the lead and it’s definitely given Arsenal a lift.
38 mins: Jorginho gets a foot in to stop a City counter, he’s had a pretty decent full debut so far.
Arsenal flying forward in numbers to press the City defenders, but those blue shirts are so good at passing their way out of trouble. Never even in a hint of doubt.
PENALTY TO ARSENAL
Arsenal 0-1 Man City
Confusion everywhere! But Arsenal have a penalty!
Eddie Nketiah gets in and sends a shot on target, which Nathan Ake slides in to clear off the line.
Nketiah is clobbered by Ederson after getting the shot off and it appears as though this is the offence that has prompted the spot to pointed at by the ref.
City are furious. But Arsenal have a huge chance to level this up!
GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Manchester City | Bukayo Saka 42′
SAKA MAKES NO MISTAKE!
Had an age to think about it, but Saka keeps his nerve to send Ederson the wrong way!
It’s all square at the Emirates.
44 mins: Walker still taking a fair old while over throw-ins, no sign of City stepping up the pace. They’d be happy enough to get to half-time level now.
Nearly better than that! Sharp save from Ramsdale at his near post, after Haaland had an effort blocked.
Offside flag up, wouldn’t have counted.
45 mins: Six minutes added on!
Plenty more fun to come. Jorginho trips Mahrez, clumsy challenge in midfield. Up come the City centre-backs.
45+2 mins: At the fourth time of asking, Silva earns himself a yellow card. Saka breaking away down the right, knocks it past the City man and he’s brought down.
It’s been coming for about 35 minutes, but Silva does now join Walker and Ederson in the book.
45+5 mins: Haaland holds up the long ball forward, and he wins a free-kick as Saliba gets a bit too tight. Safe to say Arteta does not agree with that decision.
Mahrez whips it in… OFF THE BAR! Ake diverts it at goal but he’s denied by the woodwork!
HT: Arsenal 1-1 Man City
A brilliant 45 minutes at the Emirates.
City took the lead, De Bruyne ruthless in taking advantage of Tomiyasu’s disastrous backpass.
Superb response from Arsenal though and they deservedly found an equaliser, as Saka kept his nerve from the spot.
Back underway!
Here we go again – second half is up and running!
48 mins: Low-key start to the half… nothing has happened.
Here’s something at least. Tomiyasu has picked up possibly the softest yellow card you’ll ever see, walked too far forward as he prepared to take the throw-in.
Very strange.
49 mins: Grealish all of a sudden with renewed interest in running at Tomiyasu, who has to be very careful now.
Silva digs out a cross, headed out but Arsenal are being pinned back here. Good start to the half from City.
51 mins: Lovely football from Arsenal, play their way out of trouble and all the way out to the left wing. Martinelli driving at Dias, finds Zinchenko.
Good defending from Mahrez, tracks back and puts in the tackle to win the ball back.
And now Arteta and De Bruyne clash! Arteta flicked the ball away as the Belgian came to take it, and De Bruyne shoves him. Crowd enjoyed that.
53 mins: Real edge to this match, Odegaard now unahppy as Silva pulls his shirt back. Nothing given.
Zinchenko harrying Mahrez all the way back into the City half, nobody getting a second on the ball.
56 mins: Nketiah charges up to close Ederson down, City goalkeeper sends a pass straight out of play.
Arsenal take the throw-in quickly, Jorginho whips a low cross into the box but Nketiah can’t quite get there. Ederson claims.
Grealish driving into space at the other end, looks to find Mahrez and instead finds a ballboy. Terrible pass.
PENALTY MAN CITY!
WOW.
Ball over the top, Gabriel pulling Haaland back and the referee points to the spot! Very clumsy.
Yellow card for Gabriel too, who is absolutely furious.
Is it offside though? VAR will check, hopefully looking at the right thing this time.
Haaland could well be offside here.
Haaland looks to be standing just beyond Gabriel when the ball was initially played. Think this will be overturned.
VAR taking all the time in the world, don’t want to get this wrong…
NO PENALTY!
It’s offside!
Took their time but eventually we get to the right decision. And Gabriel’s yellow card is wiped away too.
A huge break for Arsenal and the cheer that decision gets is as loud as a goal. Gabriel is a lucky man.
61 mins: Haaland bundles into Gabriel again, caught him with an elbow in the back of the neck. Didn’t look to be hugely accidental.
Anyway, first change of the night. Mahrez off and Akanji is on, Silva finally freed from his left-back service.
64 mins: Frustration on both sides, tackles flying in. Feels like another flashpoint is coming.
Here’s another card, as Nketiah goes in on Dias. Catches him a bit late, blue shirts were flying at the referee there in protest.
66 mins: INCHES AWAY!
Superb from Arsenal, they cut City open as Odegaard slides the ball through to Tomiyasu on the overlap.
He fires the ball across the face of goal, Nketiah flying in at the back post but he can’t quite reach it on the slide. Any contact and it’s a goal.
67 mins: Saka charges back to help his defence, as Grealish runs with the ball. Arsenal man gives him a shove, he thinks it’s shoulder-to-shoulder but free-kick given.
Once again the crowd are up in disbelief.
68 mins: OFF THE LINE!
Rodri heads at goal from the free-kick, Ramsdale parries it out. Falls for Akanji, gets the shot away and it’s cleared away off the line.
Arsenal just about survive. Zinchenko then gives it away in his own box, Haaland is in… Ramsdale denies him! Chaos.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-2 Manchester City | Jack Grealish 72′
The Gunners are struggling to keep hold of the ball, a couple of really sloppy passes.
And here’s another one, Haaland there to take advantage. Plays it inside to Gundogan, he lets it run for Grealish.
AND HE FIRES INTO THE BOTTOM CORNER! CITY LEAD.
That strike took a slight deflection off Tomiyasu, and Ramsdale couldn’t react.
Arsenal with 20 minutes to get something from this match. Trossard to come on shortly?
75 mins: Xhaka in space on the edge of the box, Martinelli to his left.
Caught in about ten minds, sits Dias down and then runs straight into him. Real waste.
And here is Trossard, on to replace Martinelli.
77 mins: Another City change too, Grealish limps off and he’s replaced by Foden. Decent change to be able to make.
Walker once again taking his sweet time over throw-ins. With the VAR checks we’ve had, got to imagine we’re looking at six or seven minutes added on.
79 mins: No penalty!
Trossard flicks the ball past Walker, who has gone lunging in inside the box. Referee waves it away.
Not a huge amount of contact, and Trossard wasn’t complaining too much.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-3 Manchester City | Erling Haaland 82′
THAT SEALS IT!
Ball falls for Haaland in the corner and he hammers it into the bottom corner. All came from a brilliant De Bruyne run.
84 mins: White and Vieira are on for Arsenal, Tomiyasu and Xhaka making way.
Still ten minutes at least to go, but Arsenal need two goals from somewhere. They’ve found it much more difficult since the break.
85 mins: Jorginho slides the ball throught to Odegaard, who cuts it back into the box.
Nketiah lurking, but Rodri is there to boot it away. Haaland holds the ball up, he’s come alive in the second-half. Right up for the fight.
88 mins: De Bruyne off, Phillips on. City seeing this out.
For the first time the Arsenal fans are pretty flat now. They know this one is out, City going back to the top of the table for the first time since August.
89 mins: Plenty of the ball for the Gunners, but not doing anything with it.
Saka cuts inside and fires a ball into the box, Nketiah with a big chance but he heads wide. That really should have gone at target at least.
90+2 mins: Five minutes added on.
Trossard looks to put a ball into the box, and almost turns into a perfect shot. Just flies over the bar though.
FT: Arsenal 1-3 Manchester City
Manchester City are top of the Premier League!
On goal difference, and having played a game more than Arsenal, but that’s a big blow to the Gunners.
