Manchester City vs Arsenal: Full head-to-head record

Throughout the history of the Premier League, Arsenal vs Manchester City has always been a one-sided encounter.

The first half of the Premier League era was dominated by Arsenal. In fact, it was not until the 20th attempt that Manchester City managed to beat the Gunners, a 1-0 victory, 14 years after their first Premier League meeting. However, Pep Guardiola’s side have changed the narrative in recent years.

Obviously, this fixture long predates the Premier League era, with their first meeting dating back to 1893. That initial clash was so long ago that both teams actually had different names, with the Gunners known as Woolwich Arsenal and Manchester City known as Ardwick.

As expected, there have been some exciting matches between these two clubs in the past.

Arsenal’s biggest ever Premier League win over City came at the turn of the century, when the Gunners dismantled the City at Highbury in 2000. It was a nightmare performance for Joe Royle’s side just three days before Halloween, with Danny Tiatto shown a red card in the first half that proved costly.

A young Ashley Cole announced himself to the world with a superb free-kick just before half-time on his league debut, with Dennis Bergkamp and Sylvain Wiltord adding their names to the scoresheet in the second half. However, it was a certain Thierry Henry who took centre stage in the final eight minutes, adding two superb finishes.

Arsenal would also go on to outscore City by four goals in the first leg in April, with Royle’s men being relegated at the end of the campaign.

One of the most iconic moments in Premier League history occurred between Arsenal and Man City in September 2009. It was, of course, Emmanuel Adeb
ayor’s celebration after scoring City’s third in a 4-2 win at the Etihad, with the Togo international sprinting furiously across the pitch to celebrate in front of the Arsenal fans.

“If a sniper had shot me, I wouldn’t have been brought down,” Adebayor said of his famous celebration. The former Arsenal striker was not going to let the abusive chants from visiting fans go unreported.

Adebayor added to goals from Micah Richards, Craig Bellamy and Shaun Wright-Phillips to help Mark Hughes’ side secure all three points, while strikes from Robin van Persie and Tomas Rosicky could not turn the tide for the visitors.

Nine-goal games are rare in Premier League history, but there was one in the 2013/14 season. Manchester City beat Arsenal 6-3 at the Etihad to claim the title under Manuel Pellegrini.

Sergio Aguero put Manchester City ahead before Theo Walcott levelled the game. Alvaro Negredo gave the hosts the lead soon after, and Fernandinho’s fine strike from outside the area made it 3-1 shortly after the break. Although Walcott’s fine finish gave Arsenal a breath of fresh air, David Silva ended any hopes of a comeback just three minutes later.

Fernandinho scored a late brace to make it 5-2 before Per Mertesacker and Yaya Toure added to the scoring charts in added time. It would not be the last time Arsene Wenger was humiliated on the big stage.

Arsenal had enjoyed a run of just one defeat in eight games against Manchester City after that 6-3 thrashing as the two teams prepared for an FA Cup semi-final in April 2017.

The Gunners played a major role in ensuring Guardiola’s debut season in England ended trophyless as the north London side won after extra time at Wembley.

Nacho Monreal equalised in the 71st minute after Sergio Agüero converted a pass from Yaya Touré. With the threat of penalties looming, Alexis Sánchez scored the winner in the 101st minute to set up a final with Chelsea, which they would also win 2-1.

While it wasn’t a stunning game of football at an empty Wembley, this win marked the beginning of the Mikel Arteta era at Arsenal. Guardiola’s former assistant manager outdid his old boss, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s double in the FA Cup semi-final giving the Gunners a crucial victory.

Arteta’s side would go on to face Chelsea in the final, a game they won 2-1 thanks to another Aubameyang brace. It was the first major trophy Arteta lifted as a manager and laid the foundations for the wonderful Arsenal team that followed.

The 2022/23 title race was the first time Arsenal looked genuinely Premier League title winners, but for all their brilliance, City were too powerful for them in the end. Both clashes between the sides were decisive and both ended in emphatic victories for the Citizens.

The first was perhaps the most significant, as Arsenal were outclassed at home and lost their position at the top of the Premier League table. Goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland more than cancelled out Bukayo Saka’s first-half penalty, and it also dealt a huge psychological blow to the Gunners.

It was perhaps the real st
art to City’s rise to the Premier League title during the 2022/23 season, with Guardiola overseeing a 4-1 win over Arsenal in the return leg as well.

Arsenal have confirmed themselves as Manchester City’s main title contenders in the 2022/23 season, making their meeting early next season more than intriguing.

The game at the Emirates Stadium was nothing special, however, but Gabriel Martinelli scored the winner, deflected in by Nathan Ake, and the Gunners prevailed over their rivals.

Arsenal vs Man City – Full Head to Head Record

Arsenal vs Man City – Premier League head-to-head record

Top scorers in Premier League matches Arsenal vs Man City

More news about the Premier League