| Arsenal F.C.–Manchester City F.C. rivalry | |
| First Contested: | 11 November 1893 Football League Second Division Woolwich Arsenal 1–0 Ardwick |
| Stadiums: | Emirates Stadium (Arsenal) City of Manchester Stadium (Manchester City) |
| Mostrecent: | 22 September 2024 Premier League |
| Nextmeeting: | 1 February 2025 Premier League |
| Total: | 212 |
| Series: | Arsenal: 99 Drawn: 48 City: 65 |
| Largestvictory: | Arsenal 5–0 Manchester City (27 October 2000) Manchester City 5–0 Arsenal (28 August 2021) |
| Largestscoring: | Arsenal 7–3 Manchester City (6 October 1956) |
The Arsenal F.C.–Manchester City F.C. rivalry is a rivalry between English professional football clubs Arsenal and Manchester City. Arsenal play their home games at the Emirates Stadium, while Manchester City play their home games at the City of Manchester Stadium.
The rivalry between the two clubs began in the late 2000s. Arsenal, who at the time were a consistent challenger for all competitions over a number of seasons, would lose key important players to City who would eventually become the more dominant of the two teams. Arsenal then-manager Arsène Wenger had always been a big critic of City's transfer policy and financial strategy; the rivalry gained traction following the moves of the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor and Samir Nasri. Adebayor infamously ran the full length of the pitch to celebrate in front of Arsenal fans when he scored in a 4–2 win during the 2009–10 season.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
By 2012, City had completely usurped Arsenal in the league, and despite the latter picking up a variety of domestic trophies over the next decade, City went on to become the dominant force in English football. City's rise to the top did tend to calm any direct rivalry, despite the Gunners beating City 3–0 in the 2014 FA Community Shield, with City gaining revenge by winning the 2018 EFL Cup final.[6]
The rivalry was not renewed properly until the 2022–23 season, when Arsenal, now under the stewardship of former City assistant coach Mikel Arteta, led the Premier League until the final month before finishing five points adrift from winners City. Although the two clubs share rivalry on the field, Arteta and City coach Pep Guardiola count each other as very close friends, having played and worked together in the past.
Arsenal and Manchester City were not traditional rivals, the first game between the two clubs was a Football League Division Two match between Woolwich Arsenal and Ardwick on 11 November 1893, ending in a 1–0 win for Arsenal. The first 14 games between the two teams were played in the second division with City winning 8, Arsenal with 4 and 2 draws.[7]
Arsenal historically have had more success certainly during the 1990s and early 2000s. At the time of the Abu Dhabi United Group takeover of City in 2008, Arsenal had won thirteen domestic top-flight league titles, ten FA cups and two Football League Cups; City, conversely had won only two domestic top-flight league titles, four FA Cups and two Football League Cups. Arsenal under Arsène Wenger had also finished runners-up in the 2006 UEFA Champions League final and had been a consistent challenging team domestically since winning their first Premier League title in 1998. By 2008, Arsenal had not finished outside the top four since the 1995–96 season, whereas City had not finished in the top four since the 1977–78 season, although they did finish a place higher than Arsenal in the inaugural Premier League season in 1992–93. Despite finishing lower, Arsenal defeated City 1–0 on both occasions during the season.[8]
Following Manchester City's takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008, the club's increased spending on players began to rile several opposition managers with Arsène Wenger being particularly outspoken in his disapproval of City's financial approach on numerous occasions.[9] [10] [11]
During the summer of 2009, City, who had finished 10th in the previous season (six places behind Arsenal in 4th), would move to sign Gunners pair Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Touré. Adebayor had been the Gunners' second-highest goal scorer in the previous season, where Toure was the club's vice-captain and a former Premier League winner who had amassed 326 appearances across all competitions.[12]
In the first game between the two teams during the 2009–10 season, City would win 4–2 at home with Adebayor scoring the third goal that, at the time, put City ahead; he would then run the length of the pitch before sliding on his knees and celebrating in front of the Arsenal supporters.[13] During the game he had caused controversy with a late tackle on Cesc Fàbregas and flicking a boot in the face of Robin van Persie. Adebayor received a yellow card and would later apologise for "losing his head" after what he described as two hours of abuse from Arsenal fans: "I was in my spiritual zone. Kolo Toure said to me: 'I was looking at the pictures and you did not flinch once.' I did not feel human anymore. The abuse was too much. I was ready to die. I just looked at them and thought 'There are things you do not do.'"[14] In 2018, Adebayor stated that he still hates both Arsenal and Arsene Wenger, recalling the moment in a TV interview where Wenger had described his move as money orientated.[15] City would also complete the transfers of former Arsenal players and previous Wenger signings Sylvinho from Barcelona, and club legend Patrick Vieira from Inter Milan, adding to an increasing number of ex-Gunners players in the City ranks.[16] [17]
Wenger would also publicly criticise City's sponsorship deal with Etihad Airways, accusing the club of bending UEFA's fair play rules.[18]
In the summer of 2011, City added two more of Arsenal's more important players, the signing of long-standing left-back Gaël Clichy as well as Samir Nasri, who had made the PFA Team of the Year and had scored 15 goals from midfield in the previous season.[19] [20] Prior to the Nasri transfer, Wenger accused City manager Roberto Mancini of being "disrespectful" and "out of order" in a press conference, voicing his disapproval at Mancini answering a question stating he hoped a deal could be done for Nasri.[21] Due to criticism, Nasri protested that his move to City was about winning titles and not money, before going on to criticise Arsenal's transfer policy.[22]
During the run in for the 2011–12 season, City, who were fighting Manchester United for the title, were beaten 1–0 by Arsenal in a game that was marred by the sending off of City striker Mario Balotelli as fractures were seen between the relationship of the player and his manager Roberto Mancini.[23] Despite being eight points adrift following the game, City would go on to win their first title on the final day of the season.[24]
In September 2012, Mancini criticised Wenger for constantly complaining about City spending money, claiming that Arsenal have also spent big money on players.[25] In 2013, a video posted to the internet appeared to show Nasri being abused by Arsenal fans as he entered the Emirates Stadium; in a later interview, Nasri branded the fans as "stupid", and opened up about the abuse he had received since leaving for City.[26]
Bacary Sagna became the most recent Arsenal player to transfer to City under the Wenger era at the beginning of the 2014–15 season, although the transfer had less impact on Arsenal than the others given the players contract was about to expire.[27] Wenger would criticise City once again by claiming the clubs decision to sign Frank Lampard from Chelsea via New York City FC, which was a part of the City Football Group that also owns Manchester City, was a way to get around FFP rules. City manager Manuel Pellegrini said he was surprised by Wenger's outburst given Lampard was a free transfer having been released by Chelsea.[28] The following week Arsenal would defeat City 3–0 in the 2014 FA Community Shield.[29]
By the end of the 2016–17 season, following the appointment Pep Guardiola as City manager the three final ex-Arsenal players Clichy, Nasri and Sagna were released, therefore the on-the field rivalry cooled, despite Guardiola appointing former Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta as his assistant coach.[30]
Despite Arsenal continuing to triumph in domestic cup competitions, adding the FA Cup in both 2017 and 2020, they began to regress and struggle in the League, posting finishes between 5th and 8th between 2015–16 and 2019–20, where as City would go on to gain four titles between 2017–18 and 2021–22, and cementing themselves as the dominant force in English football over the last decade.
The two clubs would meet in the 2018 EFL Cup final at Wembley Stadium, the first competitive final between the two teams. City would run out comfortable winners in a 3–0 victory with goals from Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva.[31] Days later City would defeat Arsenal 3-0 again in the League with a victory at the Emirates Stadium that piled pressure on Wenger.[32] Wenger would leave the club at the end of the 2017–18 season.[33]
In 2019, Guardiola's former City assistant manager Mikel Arteta returned to Arsenal as their new manager, replacing Unai Emery who had been sacked, although by the end of the 2021–22 season City had extended their unbeaten run against Arsenal in the League to 13 games, with Guardiola losing his first game to Arteta in a 2–0 FA Cup defeat on 18 July 2020.[34]
In the summer of 2022, City agreed to the sale of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal with both players reuniting with Arteta. With Arsenal finishing 5th in the previous season, Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane expressed his belief that the pair had been allowed to join Arsenal because City no longer considered the Gunners a direct threat.[35] Guardiola explained the transfers by saying all-parties were happy with the outcome.[36]
Arsenal carved out a lead in the Premier League and by the time the two teams met in February 2023 they led City by three points. In the game at the Emirates, City went on to win the game 3–1 and temporarily leapfrogged Arsenal at the top of the league.[37] City also defeated the Gunners 1–0 in the FA Cup on their way to winning the tournament.[38] In a contrast to Arsenal fans in the past, City fans gave Oleksandr Zinchenko a standing ovation upon his return to the City of Manchester Stadium, he thanked fans by saying "There are no old friends - there are friends with whom there are many good memories and you will always be glad to see each of them. There is no past home - there is a place where you were very happy, and now you are happy to return. Thank you Etihad for the warm welcome!".[39]
Arsenal carved out a ten-point lead in the race for the Premier League but would be thrashed 4–1 by City at the City of Manchester Stadium as Guardiola's team clawed back the advantage.[40] Arsenal would go on to draw 3 and lose 3 of their final 9 games and would eventually finish 2nd to City by five points.[41]
In the first game of the 2023–24 season the two teams met in the 2023 FA Community Shield at Wembley Stadium. Following victory in the 2023 UEFA Champions League final, City headed into the game as treble winners and led 1–0 following a late strike from Cole Palmer, however Leandro Trossard's heavily deflected shot cannoned off Manuel Akanji to equalise in the 11th of 13 minutes of added on time sent the game to a penalty shootout, in which the Gunners would win 4–1. After the game, following the equaliser coming in a prolonged period of added on time Guardiola bemoaned the new controversial stoppage time rules brought in by the Football Association during the summer.[42] [43]
On 8 October 2023, Arsenal ended their 12-game losing streak when Gabriel Martinelli's 86th-minute deflected shot wrong-footed Ederson to give the Gunners a 1–0 win, the club's first in the Premier League since December 2015.[44] Arsenal held City to a 0–0 stalemate at the City of Manchester Stadium on 31 March 2024, the first time Arsenal had taken points away at City of Manchester Stadium since 8 May 2016, a 2–2 draw. This result also ended Manchester City's 58-game home scoring streak, and was City's first 0–0 draw in 75 Premier League games under Guardiola.
In the title run-in, Arsenal and City found themselves in a two-horse race for the title once again amid Liverpool's title bid collapsing due to the Reds dropping points in 5 of their final 8 games. This season, it was far closer with the race going to the final day but City were once more victorious, pipping Arsenal to the title by 2 points.
On 22 September 2024, the teams met for the first time in the 2024-25 season. Erling Haaland scored to give City an early lead at the City of Manchester Stadium, before Riccardo Calafiori scored his first ever goal for Arsenal from outside the box to level things. Gabriel then headed Arsenal in front before Leandro Trossard was sent off deep into stoppage time in the first half. Arsenal defended deep throughout the second half and were seconds away from securing their first win at the City of Manchester Stadium since 2015, only for John Stones to score a 98th minute equalizer to salvage a point for City.
Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta, who are both from Spain, came through the Barcelona academy, and the first met when Arteta was coming through the youth academy whilst Guardiola was an accomplished first team player. Arteta's debut for the Barcelona B team was as a substitute for Guardiola, whose playing career was ultimately winding down due to injuries. Both men are reported to have stayed in touch ever since. Guardiola would go on to manage Barcelona and Bayern Munich before joining City in 2016, whilst Arteta went on to have an established top flight career in the United Kingdom with Rangers, Everton and finally Arsenal where he retired during the same summer of Guardiola's appointment in Manchester.[45]
In the summer of 2016, Guardiola appointed Arteta as one of his assistant coaches to work alongside veteran Brian Kidd. In joining City, he turned down the opportunity to remain at Arsenal as part of Arsène Wenger's coaching staff having been offered the chance to run the clubs academy. He also turned down the opportunity to join Tottenham Hotspur as part of Mauricio Pochettino's staff.[46]
Arteta stood in as City manager in a 2–1 Champions League loss against Lyon on 19 September 2018, because of Guardiola's touchline ban.[47] At City, Arteta won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and two EFL Cups. In 2018, Arteta became strongly linked with the Arsenal manager's vacancy, following the departure of his former manager Arsène Wenger, but Unai Emery was eventually hired.[48] [49]
On 20 December 2019, Arteta was appointed head coach at Arsenal, signing a deal until 2023.[50] [51] Upon his appointment, he stated that he believed the club had lost direction and that he didn't want players to shirk responsibility: "I want people to take responsibility for their jobs and I want people who deliver passion and energy in the football club. Anyone who doesn't buy into this, or that has a negative effect or whatever, is not good enough for this environment or this culture."[52]
Both men have since expressed their relationship would not change despite managing rival clubs and both regard one on another as a close friend.[53] During the run in for the title in 2022–23, Arteta stated "I would prefer to do it with someone else, to be fair. I want the best for him, genuinely, and when you are challenging with someone like this and something comes in-between that, it's a strange feeling."[54]
See main article: article.
See main article: article.
| Arsenal | Competition | Manchester City | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | |||
| 13 | 10 | ||
| style=background:#EBD79B | 14 | 7 | |
| 2 | 8 | ||
| 17 | 7 | ||
| style=background:#EBD79B | 1 | Football League Centenary Trophy (defunct) | — |
| 47 | Domestic total | 32 | |
| International | |||
| — | 1 | ||
| 1 | UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (defunct) | 1 | |
| — | 1 | ||
| 1 | Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (defunct) | — | |
| — | 1 | ||
| 2 | International total | 4 | |
| 49 | Grand total | 36 | |
| Competition | Played | Arsenal wins | Draws | Manchester City wins | scope=col | Arsenal goals | scope=col | Manchester City goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 55 | 24 | 12 | 19 | 76 | 73 | ||
| First Division | 124 | 60 | 32 | 32 | 212 | 146 | ||
| Second Division | 14 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 25 | ||
| FA Cup | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 5 | ||
| EFL Cup | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 15 | ||
| UEFA Champions League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| FA Community Shield | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | ||
| Total | 212 | 99 | 48 | 65 | 327 | 265 |
The table below shows the matches played between Arsenal and Manchester City, separated by home, as in matches played in Arsenal's Manor Ground, Highbury Stadium and now Emirates Stadium are shown in the left hand table and matches played at Manchester City's home stadium (following a nomadic embryonic existence, City resided at Hyde Road from 1887 to 1923, then Maine Road until 2003, and finally the City of Manchester Stadium from the 2003–04 season onwards) are shown on the right. Cup finals are typically played at a neutral location such as the England national football team home stadium (Wembley).
| Arsenal at home | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Score | Competition | |
| 11 November 1893 | League Division Two | ||
| 29 September 1894 | League Division Two | ||
| 7 September 1895 | League Division Two | ||
| 28 April 1897 | League Division Two | ||
| 5 February 1898 | League Division Two | ||
| 3 April 1899 | League Division Two | ||
| 1 November 1902 | League Division Two | ||
| 20 February 1904 | FA Cup | ||
| 10 December 1904 | League Division One | ||
| 2 December 1905 | League Division One | ||
| 29 December 1906 | League Division One | ||
| 21 September 1907 | League Division One | ||
| 10 October 1908 | League Division One | ||
| 29 October 1910 | League Division One | ||
| 2 March 1912 | League Division One | ||
| 2 November 1912 | League Division One | ||
| 3 January 1920 | League Division One | ||
| 11 September 1920 | League Division One | ||
| 17 September 1921 | League Division One | ||
| 20 January 1923 | League Division One | ||
| 13 October 1923 | League Division One | ||
| 1 September 1924 | League Division One | ||
| 20 March 1926 | League Division One | ||
| 2 February 1929 | League Division One | ||
| 11 September 1929 | League Division One | ||
| 26 December 1930 | League Division One | ||
| 30 January 1932 | League Division One | ||
| 12 March 1932 | FA Cup | ||
| 21 January 1933 | League Division One | ||
| 9 September 1933 | League Division One | ||
| 13 October 1934 | League Division One | ||
| 28 November 1934 | FA Charity Shield | ||
| 21 September 1935 | League Division One | ||
| 5 December 1936 | League Division One | ||
| 2 October 1937 | League Division One | ||
| 6 December 1947 | League Division One | ||
| 4 December 1948 | League Division One | ||
| 1 April 1950 | League Division One | ||
| 26 January 1952 | League Division One | ||
| 22 November 1952 | League Division One | ||
| 19 September 1953 | League Division One | ||
| 14 September 1954 | League Division One | ||
| 6 September 1955 | League Division One | ||
| 6 October 1956 | League Division One | ||
| 2 November 1957 | League Division One | ||
| 20 September 1958 | League Division One | ||
| 12 September 1959 | League Division One | ||
| 14 January 1961 | League Division One | ||
| 9 September 1961 | League Division One | ||
| 20 April 1963 | League Division One | ||
| 14 January 1967 | FA Cup | ||
| 23 September 1967 | League Division One | ||
| 27 August 1968 | League Division One | ||
| 22 November 1969 | League Division One | ||
| 6 February 1971 | League Division One | ||
| 13 November 1971 | League Division One | ||
| 28 October 1972 | League Division One | ||
| 23 March 1974 | League Division One | ||
| 24 August 1974 | League Division One | ||
| 4 October 1975 | League Division One | ||
| 4 September 1976 | League Division One | ||
| 24 January 1978 | League Cup | ||
| 4 March 1978 | League Division One | ||
| 24 March 1979 | League Division One | ||
| 6 October 1979 | League Division One | ||
| 24 February 1981 | League Division One | ||
| 17 October 1981 | League Division One | ||
| 23 April 1983 | League Division One | ||
| 2 November 1985 | League Division One | ||
| 28 October 1986 | League Cup | ||
| 22 November 1986 | League Division One | ||
| 14 October 1989 | League Division One | ||
| 17 April 1991 | League Division One | ||
| 31 August 1991 | League Division One | ||
| 28 September 1992 | Premier League | ||
| 16 October 1993 | Premier League | ||
| 20 August 1994 | Premier League | ||
| 5 March 1996 | Premier League | ||
| 28 October 2000 | Premier League | ||
| 10 September 2002 | Premier League | ||
| 1 February 2004 | Premier League | ||
| 4 January 2005 | Premier League | ||
| 22 October 2005 | Premier League | ||
| 17 April 2007 | Premier League | ||
| 25 August 2007 | Premier League | ||
| 4 April 2009 | Premier League | ||
| 24 April 2010 | Premier League | ||
| 5 January 2011 | Premier League | ||
| 29 November 2011 | League Cup | ||
| 8 April 2012 | Premier League | ||
| 13 January 2013 | Premier League | ||
| 29 March 2014 | Premier League | ||
| 13 September 2014 | Premier League | ||
| 21 December 2015 | Premier League | ||
| 2 April 2017 | Premier League | ||
| 1 March 2018 | Premier League | ||
| 12 August 2018 | Premier League | ||
| 15 December 2019 | Premier League | ||
| 22 December 2020 | EFL Cup | ||
| 21 February 2021 | Premier League | ||
| 1 January 2022 | Premier League | ||
| 15 February 2023 | Premier League | ||
| 8 October 2023 | Premier League | ||
| Manchester City at home[58] [59] [60] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Score | Competition | |
| 30 December 1893 | League Division Two | ||
| 15 December 1894 | League Division Two | ||
| 28 September 1895 | League Division Two | ||
| 5 September 1896 | League Division Two | ||
| 25 September 1897 | League Division Two | ||
| 1 October 1898 | League Division Two | ||
| 20 December 1902 | League Division Two | ||
| 8 April 1905 | League Division One | ||
| 7 April 1906 | League Division One | ||
| 1 September 1906 | League Division One | ||
| 18 January 1908 | League Division One | ||
| 13 February 1909 | League Division One | ||
| 4 March 1911 | League Division One | ||
| 28 October 1911 | League Division One | ||
| 8 March 1913 | League Division One | ||
| 17 January 1920 | League Division One | ||
| 18 September 1920 | League Division One | ||
| 10 September 1921 | League Division One | ||
| 27 January 1923 | League Division One | ||
| 6 October 1923 | League Division One | ||
| 17 September 1924 | League Division One | ||
| 7 November 1925 | League Division One | ||
| 22 September 1928 | League Division One | ||
| 4 September 1929 | League Division One | ||
| 25 December 1930 | League Division One | ||
| 19 September 1931 | League Division One | ||
| 10 September 1932 | League Division One | ||
| 20 January 1934 | League Division One | ||
| 23 February 1935 | League Division One | ||
| 11 March 1936 | League Division One | ||
| 10 April 1937 | League Division One | ||
| 16 February 1938 | League Division One | ||
| 24 April 1948 | League Division One | ||
| 27 April 1949 | League Division One | ||
| 12 November 1949 | League Division One | ||
| 22 September 1951 | League Division One | ||
| 11 April 1953 | League Division One | ||
| 6 February 1954 | League Division One | ||
| 8 September 1954 | League Division One | ||
| 31 August 1955 | League Division One | ||
| 20 March 1957 | League Division One | ||
| 15 March 1958 | League Division One | ||
| 7 February 1959 | League Division One | ||
| 23 January 1960 | League Division One | ||
| 3 September 1960 | League Division One | ||
| 20 January 1962 | League Division One | ||
| 1 December 1962 | League Division One | ||
| 10 September 1966 | League Division One | ||
| 3 February 1968 | League Division One | ||
| 9 October 1968 | League Division One | ||
| 18 February 1970 | League Division One | ||
| 5 December 1970 | League Division One | ||
| 17 February 1971 | FA Cup | ||
| 4 March 1972 | League Division One | ||
| 24 March 1973 | League Division One | ||
| 10 November 1973 | League Division One | ||
| 16 October 1974 | League Division One | ||
| 24 April 1976 | League Division One | ||
| 12 February 1977 | League Division One | ||
| 8 October 1977 | League Division One | ||
| 18 January 1978 | League Cup | ||
| 22 August 1978 | League Division One | ||
| 15 March 1980 | League Division One | ||
| 6 September 1980 | League Division One | ||
| 6 March 1982 | League Division One | ||
| 4 December 1982 | League Division One | ||
| 30 October 1985 | League Cup | ||
| 5 April 1986 | League Division One | ||
| 25 April 1987 | League Division One | ||
| 10 March 1990 | League Division One | ||
| 30 October 1990 | League Cup | ||
| 1 January 1991 | League Division One | ||
| 28 December 1991 | League Division One | ||
| 16 January 1993 | Premier League | ||
| 15 January 1994 | Premier League | ||
| 12 December 1994 | Premier League | ||
| 10 September 1995 | Premier League | ||
| 11 April 2001 | Premier League | ||
| 22 February 2003 | Premier League | ||
| 31 August 2003 | Premier League | ||
| 25 September 2004 | Premier League | ||
| 27 October 2004 | League Cup | ||
| 4 May 2006 | Premier League | ||
| 26 August 2006 | Premier League | ||
| 2 February 2008 | Premier League | ||
| 22 November 2008 | Premier League | ||
| 12 September 2009 | Premier League | ||
| 2 December 2009 | FA Cup | ||
| 24 October 2010 | Premier League | ||
| 18 December 2011 | Premier League | ||
| 23 September 2012 | Premier League | ||
| 14 December 2013 | Premier League | ||
| 18 January 2015 | Premier League | ||
| 8 May 2016 | Premier League | ||
| 18 December 2016 | Premier League | ||
| 5 November 2017 | Premier League | ||
| 3 February 2019 | Premier League | ||
| 17 June 2020 | Premier League | ||
| 17 October 2020 | Premier League | ||
| 28 August 2021 | Premier League | ||
| 27 January 2023 | FA Cup | ||
| 26 April 2023 | Premier League | ||
| 31 March 2024 | Premier League | ||
| 22 September 2024 | Premier League | ||
| At neutral venues | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Team 1 | Score | Team 2 | Competition | Venue | |
| 10 August 2014 | Arsenal | Manchester City | FA Community Shield | Wembley Stadium | ||
| 23 April 2017 | Arsenal | Manchester City | FA Cup semi-final | Wembley Stadium | ||
| 25 February 2018 | Arsenal | Manchester City | EFL Cup final | Wembley Stadium | ||
| 18 July 2020 | Arsenal | Manchester City | FA Cup semi-final | Wembley Stadium | ||
| 6 August 2023 | Arsenal | Manchester City | FA Community Shield | Wembley Stadium | ||
| Player | Arsenal career | Manchester City career | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Span | League apps | League goals | Span | League apps | League goals | |
| James Blair | 1905–1906 | 13 | 3 | 1906–1910 | 76 | 0 |
| Billy Blyth | 1914–1929 | 314 | 45 | 1913–1914 | 0 | 0 |
| Dave Halliday | 1929–1932 | 15 | 8 | 1930–1933 | 76 | 47 |
| Dave Bacuzzi | 1958–1964 | 46 | 0 | 1964–1966 | 57 | 0 |
| Brian Kidd | 1974–1976 | 77 | 30 | 1976–1979 | 98 | 44 |
| Tommy Caton | 1983–1987 | 81 | 2 | 1979–1983 | 165 | 8 |
| Clive Allen | 1980 | 0 | 0 | 1989–1991 | 53 | 16 |
 Niall Quinn | 1983–1990 | 67 | 14 | 1990–1996 | 204 | 66 |
| David Rocastle | 1985–1992 | 218 | 24 | 1993–1994 | 21 | 2 |
| Neil Heaney | 1989–1994 | 7 | 0 | 1996–1999 | 18 | 1 |
| Andy Cole | 1989–1992 | 1 | 0 | 2005–2006 | 22 | 9 |
| David Seaman | 1990–2003 | 405 | 0 | 2003–2004 | 19 | 0 |
| Paul Dickov | 1990–1996 | 22 | 4 | 1996–2002 2006–2008 | 174 | 35 |
| Eddie McGoldrick | 1993–1996 | 38 | 0 | 1996–1999 | 39 | 0 |
 Patrick Vieira | 1996–2004 | 279 | 29 | 2010–2011 | 28 | 3 |
| Nicolas Anelka | 1997–1999 | 65 | 23 | 2002–2005 | 89 | 37 |
 Sylvinho | 1999–2001 | 59 | 1 | 2009–2010 | 10 | 0 |
| Stuart Taylor | 1999–2004 | 18 | 0 | 2009–2012 | 0 | 0 |
 Kolo Touré | 2001–2009 | 225 | 9 | 2009–2013 | 82 | 2 |
| Richard Wright | 2001–2002 | 12 | 0 | 2012–2016 | 0 | 0 |
| Gaël Clichy | 2003–2011 | 187 | 1 | 2011–2017 | 138 | 2 |
| Emmanuel Adebayor | 2006–2009 | 104 | 46 | 2009–2012 | 34 | 15 |
| Bacary Sagna | 2007–2014 | 213 | 4 | 2014–2017 | 54 | 0 |
| Samir Nasri | 2008–2011 | 86 | 18 | 2011–2017 | 129 | 18 |
 Denis Suárez | 2019 | 4 | 0 | 2011–2013 | 0 | 0 |
| Pablo Marí | 2020–2023 | 12 | 0 | 2016–2019 | 0 | 0 |
 Oleksandr Zinchenko | 2022– | 56 | 2 | 2017–2022 | 76 | 0 |
| Gabriel Jesus | 2022– | 56 | 15 | 2017–2022 | 159 | 58 |
| Raheem Sterling | 2024– | 1 | 0 | 2015–2022 | 225 | 91 |
| Manager | Played for | Managed | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Span | League apps | League goals | Team | Span | G | W | D | L | Win % | ||
| Joe Mercer | Arsenal | 1946–1955 | 247 | 2 | 340 | 149 | 94 | 97 | ||||
| 1966–1971 | 177 | 45 | Manchester City | 1995–1996 | 49 | 13 | 14 | 22 | ||||
| Brian Kidd | Arsenal | 77 | 30 | Manchester City | 2013 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||
| Mikel Arteta | Arsenal | 110 | 14 | Manchester City | 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||
Arsenal: record v Manchester City
Manchester City: record v Arsenal