Arsenal's 1-0 victory over Manchester City won't be remembered as a classic, but the psychological implications could be significant in the 2023/24 Premier League title race.
While Man City are far too good to be described as anybody's bogey team, they've certainly had Arsenal's number since Pep Guardiola took the reins. They headed into Sunday's game having beaten the Gunners 12 consecutive times in the Premier League, but a late Gabriel Martinelli strike ensured Mikel Arteta's men ended that unwanted streak with a mammoth three points.
Arsenal's win saw them usurp the Cityzens in the standings and move joint-top alongside north London rivals Tottenham. While the Gunners lack the novelty of 2022/23 which saw them emerge as City's fiercest rival to their crown, there's no denying that Arteta's ever-maturing outfit remain a distinct threat to the Sky Blues' monopoly over the Premier League.
Both sides will now be pleading that their respective stars return from international duty unscathed because a rather hectic run of fixtures greet them as we veer towards Halloween.
Here's how Arsenal and Man City's next six games compare.
Arsenal's next six fixtures
Some might argue that the October break arrived at the wrong time for Arsenal given Sunday's victory, but the time off will give the likes of Bukayo Saka ample time to recover from injury.
Arsenal's progression in the Carabao Cup means their next six games involve three different competitions, with the Gunners taking on West Ham away from home in the fourth round at the start of November.
Before that, though, Arsenal are twice in Premier League action as they visit a Chelsea side that may well be finding their groove under Mauricio Pochettino, and play host to a surely relegation-bound Sheffield United. A tough trip to St. James' Park arrives three days after their cup tie in east London, so Arteta will undoubtedly use his squad for that midweek affair.
Arsenal's Champions League group stage campaign continues as they face Sevilla home and away. These upcoming fixtures with the Spanish outfit, who just sacked manager Jose Luis Mendilibar, have taken on a whole new significance following their defeat to Lens on matchday two.
Man City's next six fixtures
Guardiola will welcome Rodri back to the fold after the break after he missed City's back-to-back Premier League defeats due to a suspension. His return is critical for the Cityzens, who host Brighton on 21 October.
City's upcoming Premier League fixtures certainly aren't simple. After taking on Brighton, they travel to Old Trafford for the first Manchester Derby of the season. Guardiola's side were beaten in this fixture last season, and they could be facing a Red Devils outfit rejuvenated by their last-gasp win over Brentford.
The champions will be expected to dismantle Andoni Iraola's underwhelming Bournemouth at the start of November before they travel to Stamford Bridge the following week. The Blues' recent uptick in form suggests that might be a more difficult fixture than it appeared a few weeks ago, especially with the hosts getting healthier on the injury front.
Like Arsenal, City also have Champions League commitments as they twice take on Young Boys amid their inevitable rise to the top of Group G.
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This article was originally published on 90min as Arsenal's next six games compared to Man City after Sunday's win.
