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2024/25 English Premier League
Matchday 24
Arsenal v Manchester City
Emirates Stadium
London, England
Sunday, 2 February 2025
Kick-off is at 18h30
Manchester City will face a stern test of their
Premier League top-four credentials when they lock horns with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, February 2 in the late kick-off.
The Citizens have struggled against the Gunners in recent seasons, picking up just two points from their last three meetings, with their most recent win (4-1) coming on 26 April 2023.
Pep Guardiola's side continued their resurgence in the league with a 3-1 come-from-behind victory against Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium on January 25.
City are now unbeaten in their last six matches after enduring a horrendous run during November and December, and they've closed within three points of Nottingham Forest (3rd) in fourth place.
Newcastle kept in touch with them courtesy of a 3-1 success against rock-bottom Southampton at St James' Park on January 25 to remain level on 41 points in fifth position.
Forest's surprise 5-0 defeat to Bournemouth allowed Mikel Arteta's side to open up a three-point gap in second spot after edging Wolves 1-0 at Molineux on January 25.
League leaders Liverpool maintained their six-point cushion over the chasing pack with a 4-1 triumph over struggling Ipswich at Anfield later that same day.
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Arteta continues to be without Gabriel Jesus, Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu (all knee) and Bukayo Saka (thigh), while Myles Lewis-Skelly is suspended. Martin Odegaard (illness) and Mikel Merino (knock) will be assessed in the week ahead.
Rodri (knee), Oscar Bobb (calf) and Nathan Ake (muscular) remain unavailable to Guardiola, while the game comes too soon for Ruben Dias (groin) and Jeremy Doku.
Arteta hailed the character of his players to overcome the 43rd-minute of Lewis-Skelly to grind out what he felt was a "deserved" win against the Old Gold.
"It was incredible what the boys did. We were thrown into a very difficult context. We had a difficult one already losing some players very close to the game but the team showed what [they are]," the Spaniard said.
"An unbelievable spirit, so much courage and very, very intelligent - to be mature, to be composed, to be emotionally in control and understand and be focused on what we have to do, knowing what happened. I think we fully deserved to win the game."
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Guardiola handed debuts to Abdukodir Khusanov and Omar Marmoush against the Tractor Boys and acknowledged his team weren't at their best, but believes they will start to gel when the new signings are fully integrated.
"We weren't exceptional, but we take the ball a lot and made a lot of passes," the Spaniard said.
"They don't know the movement of Marmoush yet but in the situation, we are in a 3-1 win over Chelsea, and it is really important for us ahead of our final [UEFA Champions League game against Club Brugge] on Wednesday and the rest of the Premier League."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Premier League Meetings)
Matches - 5
Arsenal wins - 1
Man City wins - 2
Draws - 2
Premier League Matchday 24 fixtures:
Saturday, February 1
14h30: Nottingham Forest v Brighton & Hove Albion
17h00: Bournemouth v Liverpool
17h00: Everton v Leicester City
17h00: Ipswich Town v Southampton
17h00: Newcastle United v Fulham
19h30: Wolverhampton Wanderers v Aston Villa
Sunday, February 2
16h00: Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur
16h00: Manchester United v Crystal Palace
18h30: Arsenal v Manchester City
Monday, February 3
22h00: Chelsea v West Ham United
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