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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 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 manager at the time 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.

By 2012 City had completely usurped Arsenal in the League and despite the former picking up a variety of domestic trophies over the next decade City have gone 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 2017 EFL Cup final.

The rivalry was not renewed properly until the 2022–23 season when Arsenal now under the stewardship of former City assistant coach Mikel Arteta lead the Premier League from City until the final month before finishing 7 points adrift. 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 would go on to beat City on penalties in the 2023 FA Community Shield, although they have not beaten City in the League since December 2015.

Early history (1893–2008)
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.

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.

Abu Dhabi takeover and players move to City (2008–2014)
Following Manchester City's takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008, the club's increased spending on players following began to rile several opposition managers with Arsène Wenger being particularly outspoken in his disapproval of City's financial approach on numerous occasions.

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 a former Premier League winner and had amassed 326 appearances across all competitions.

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. 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.'" 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. City would also complete the transfers of former Arsenal players and previous Wenger signings Sylvinho from FC Barcelona, and club legend Patrick Vieira from Inter Milan adding to an increasing number of ex Gunners players in the City ranks.

Wenger would also publicly criticise City's sponsorship deal with Etihad Airways, accusing the club of bending UEFA's fair play rules.

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. 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. Due to criticism, Nasri defended his move to City was about winning titles and not money, before going on to criticise Arsenal's transfer policy.

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. Despite being eight points adrift following the game, City would go on to win their first title on the final day of the season.

In September 2012, Mancini criticised Wenger for constantly complaining about City spending money, claiming that Arsenal have also spent big money on players.

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 opening up about the abuse he has received since leaving for City.

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. Wenger would criticise City once again by claiming the clubs decision to sign Frank Lampard from Chelsea via New York City FC was a way to get round 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. The following week Arsenal would defeat City 3–0 in the 2014 FA Community Shield.

In 2020, former manager Wenger aimed a dig at City following charges brought by UEFA over financial fair play, stating he has no sympathy for the club by saying "they bought all my best players"

Arsenal decline and City domination (2014–2022)
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.

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 2016 and 2020, where as City would go on to gain four titles between 2018 and 2022 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 win victory with goals from Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva. Days later City would defeat Arsenal 3-0 again in the League with a victory at the Emirates Stadium that piled pressure on Wenger. Wenger would leave the club at the end of the 2017–18 season.

Title rivals (2022–present)
In 2019 former Guardiola's assistant 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.

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 8th in the previous season, Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane claimed he believed the pair had been allowed to join Arsenal as City did no longer view the Gunners as a direct threat. Guardiola explained the transfers by saying all-parties were happy with the outcome.

Arsenal carved out a lead in the Premier League and by the time the two teams met in February 2023 they lead 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. City also defeated the Gunners 1–0 in the FA Cup on their way to winning the tournament. In a contrast to Arsenal fans in the past, City fans gave Oleksandr Zinchenko a standing ovation upon his return to the Etihad, 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!".

Arsenal carved out a ten-point lead in the race for the Premier League but would be thrashed 4–1 by City at the Etihad as Guardiola's team clawed back the advantage. Arsenal would go on to draw 3 and lose 3 of their final 9 games and would eventually finish 2nd to City by seven-points.

Rivalry between managers
Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta who are both from Spain came through the FC Barcelona academy, the pair met when Arteta was coming through the youth academy whilst Guardiola was an accomplished first team player. Arteta's debut for the FC 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.

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 Arsene 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.

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. 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.

On 20 December 2019, Arteta was appointed head coach at Arsenal, signing a deal until 2023. 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."

Both men have since expressed their relationship would not change despite managing rival clubs and both regard one on another as a close friend. 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."''

Honours

 * Table correct as of 16 August 2023.

Matches
The table below shows the matches played between Manchester City and Arsenal, separated by home, as in 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 in the left hand table and matches played in Arsenal's Highbury Stadium and now Emirates Stadium are shown on the right. Cup finals are typically played at a neutral location such as the England national football team home stadium (Wembley).



Shared player history



 * Players contracted professionally to each team.

Played for one, managed the other
*italics denote caretaker or stand-in manager.