Arsenal recorded a convincing 1-0 victory over Manchester City in the biggest match of the 2023/24 Premier League season so far on October 8.
Mikel Arteta’s side led the title race for much of last season before being dragged down by Pep Guardiola’s eventual treble. A 4-1 City win at the Etihad Stadium in April helped propel them to glory and left the Gunners feeling their run was over.
Arsenal have won three Premier League titles, all under Arsene Wenger, and have 13 league titles to their name. Although the Invincibles of the 2003/04 season carry a lot of authority, Guardiola has helped write Manchester City’s name in the history books.
Gabriel Martinelli’s deflected goal five minutes from time thrilled the Emirates Stadium and ended Arsenal’s recent poor run in this match.
But which team has a superior head-to-head record? Here are the details of this matchup.
History of Manchester City vs Arsenal, face to face
Man City have faced Arsenal 210 times in their history, with their first meeting dating back to 1893, when the two teams were known as Ardwick and Woolwich Arsenal.
Even though Arsenal won the first three meetings, Man City had a pretty good record against the Gunners. However, Arsenal improved on that as time went on until 2008, when the Abu Dhabi-backed takeover of City changed their fortunes.
Arsenal have won 99 of 210 matches and Man City have won 65, with 46 matches ending in a draw. That includes the 2023 Community Shield match, which finished 1-1 before the Gunners triumphed on penalties.
| Competition/Venue | Matches | Arsenal wins | Manchester City wins | Giveaways |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | 191 | 88 | 59 | 44 |
| FA Cup | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| EFL Cup | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Community Shield | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Statistics provided by 11vs11.com
Man City vs Arsenal in the Premier League
This match has provided some iconic moments in particular over the past two decades. This is due to the increasing dominance of Manchester City, as well as some players moving from one club to another.
Manchester City 4-2 Arsenal, September 2009
Man City were active in the transfer market and bought Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Touré from the Gunners. The striker would make headlines when the two sides met at the start of the campaign.
With City leading 2-1 after a Craig Bellamy goal, Adebayor doubled their lead with a brilliant header. The striker then caused controversy by celebrating him as he ran the length of the pitch before sliding to his knees in front of traveling Arsenal fans.
12 years ago today, Emmanuel Adebayor scored against Arsenal, marking his goal with a silent celebration out of respect for his former employers ??? #Class #I respect pic.twitter.com/HWQBX9hOg1
– FútbolJOE (@FootballJOE) September 12, 2021
Some fans threw everything they could at him because of how the forward reacted. City took the three points with a 4-2 victory.
Manchester City 6-3 Arsenal, December 2013
The Gunners’ fragile defensive line and City’s attacking power were demonstrated in a nine-goal thriller at the Etihad Stadium in the 2013/14 season.
Arsenal managed to score three in the match, but the hosts continued to chip away and break down their defence. Players such as David Silva, Yaya Touré and Sergio Agüero scored to stop any danger of an Arsenal comeback.
Theo Walcott scored twice in the match, while Per Mertesacker also scored a consolation goal in injury time. It was a match that highlighted the direction each team was taking with its respective hierarchy.
Man City 4-1 Arsenal, April 2023
What had been billed as a battle between title contenders ended up being worryingly one-sided from Arsenal’s perspective.
Kevin De Bruyne scored twice either side of a John Stones header, putting City in control within an hour. Rob Holding scored a late goal before Erling Haaland scored in injury time to add gloss to an impressive victory.
Arsenal remained two points ahead of City after the result, but Guardiola’s men had two games in hand on their rivals. They then won the title by five points over the Gunners.
