Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said that Arsenal are still struggling to get key players back to fitness ahead of their match against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Captain Martin Odegaard made his first start since August in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea prior to the international break, having suffered an injury with Norway in September, but his side are struggling elsewhere.

Both Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka were substituted in the second half of that match with injuries and subsequently pulled out of the England squad.

"We are still missing a lot and some of the guys out there are not in the best condition," Arteta told BBC Sport.

"That is all we are asking, that they are fit and available and in the physical condition to play at this level. We have not had any of that.

"It was patch, after patch, after patch. A lot of players starting and not in the condition to finish games, so that is what I am praying for."

Nuno Espirito Santo, meanwhile, insists his side will take lessons into this weekend from their 3-1 defeat against Newcastle last time out.

"When you lose and win there is always a lesson to be learnt. We must learn an important lesson, we have been punished the way we have been punishing other teams," he said.

Despite the loss, Nottingham Forest are still fifth in the Premier League table after 11 matches, level on points with Arsenal. Nuno himself was also named September's Manager of the Month.

"Even though we lost the game, everyone at Forest should be proud of the players and how we have been working together. OK, let’s go again," he said.

"I’m just proud from day one of the way we have been working as a team."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Arsenal – Bukayo Saka

No player has supplied more assists in the Premier League than Saka (seven), with Mohamed Salah trailing by one.

The winger has also scored three goals for the Gunners and is one behind Kai Havertz as the club's leading scorer.

Nottingham Forest – Chris Wood

Wood is equal-second alongside Bryan Mbeumo and Salah in the Premier League scoring charts with eight goals.

The 32-year-old has opened the scoring on six occasions in the league this season, while he has the best conversion rate (38.1%) of any player to have made more than 10 appearances.

MATCH PREDICTION: ARSENAL WIN

Arsenal are currently in fourth place, one position above their weekend opponents Nottingham Forest.

They are unbeaten in eight home games in all competitions so far this season (W6 D2), including in their five home games in the league (W3 D2).

The Gunners have won six of their last seven Premier League games against Nottingham Forest, including back-to-back victories last season.

The visitors come into this on the back of a 3-1 defeat at home to Newcastle last time out, which ended a four-match unbeaten run.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Arsenal – 67.1%

Draw – 18.8%

Nottingham Forest – 14.1%

Harry Kane has questioned the number of players withdrawing from the latest England squad, insisting the national team "comes before anything". 

England face Greece and the Republic of Ireland in their final two matches in Nations League Group B2 this week, also their last two games under interim head coach Lee Carsley before Thomas Tuchel takes over in January.

Eight players have withdrawn from Carsley's squad – Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Aaron Ramsdale and Levi Colwill.

In an interview with ITV Sport on Wednesday, Three Lions skipper Kane appeared to question the commitment of those dropping out.

"I think England comes before anything. England comes before club," Kane said.

"England is the most important thing you play as a professional footballer and Gareth [Southgate] was hot on that and he wasn't afraid to make decisions if, you know, that started to drift from certain players.

"It's a shame this week obviously. I think it's a tough period of the season, maybe that's been taken advantage of a little bit.

"I don't really like it if I'm totally honest. I think England comes before anything, any club situation."

England likely need to beat Greece – who claimed a 2-1 victory at Wembley Stadium last month – to have any chance of winning automatic promotion back to League A.

Should the Three Lions finish second, they will face a third-placed finisher from League A – potentially Poland, Belgium, Hungary or Serbia – in a promotion play-off tie in March.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer and Declan Rice headlined England's latest withdrawals from Lee Carsley's final squad for their upcoming Nations League fixtures. 

The Three Lions take on Greece this Thursday before returning to Wembley three days later to face the Republic of Ireland, but will be without eight key players for those games.

Alexander-Arnold was replaced by Conor Bradley in the 25th minute of Liverpool's 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday, though Arne Slot is hopeful the injury is not a serious one.

And his absence will be felt by the Three Lions. Only Mohamed Salah (21) has created more chances for the Reds in the Premier League this term than Alexander-Arnold (20). 

Palmer, who missed training following a challenge from Lisandro Martinez during Chelsea’s draw with Manchester United before playing against Arsenal, is another to drop out. 

This season, Palmer's 12 goal involvements (seven goals, five assists) in the Premier League is only bettered by Liverpool's Salah (14). 

Arsenal duo Bukayo Saka and Rice also miss out, with the latter dealing with a foot injury that forced him to miss the Gunners' Champions League defeat to Inter last week. 

Rice was substituted in the 71st minute of their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Sunday, with Saka limping off 10 minutes from time at Stamford Bridge. 

Phil Foden and Jack Grealish are also ruled out, with Pep Guardiola expressing his frustration about the latter's inclusion by Carsley after ruling him out of their trip to Brighton.

Southampton's Aaron Ramsdale and Chelsea's Levi Colwill have also withdrawn from the initial 26-man squad. 

It has, however, opened the door for Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers to receive his first senior call after impressing under Unai Emery this season. 

Rogers has three goals and three assists in 15 appearances in all competitions for the Villans this term, a total only bettered by Jhon Duran and Ollie Watkins (both eight). 

Jarrod Bowen and Jarrad Branthwaite along with the uncapped Tino Livramento and James Trafford have also been added to Carsley's ranks. 

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta did not have a positive outlook when questioned about Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice's respective injuries following their 1-1 draw at Chelsea on Sunday.

Saka was taken off in the 81st minute, having earlier received treatment on a problem with his leg, while Rice left the pitch 10 minutes earlier having been playing with a broken toe.

While their injuries represent a problem for Arteta, both Saka and Rice were included in the England squad to face Greece and the Republic of Ireland.

It could be a blow for England interim manager Lee Carsley, with Arteta doubtful they will be able to contribute.

"It doesn't look good because for two players of that importance to say they want to come off is unusual," Arteta told reporters after the match. "I don't expect them to be fit [for the international break] because if not, they don't come off."

Saka has already missed two games for Arsenal this season, having picked up an injury during the previous international break. The Gunners have had to deal with numerous injuries to key players, including that of Martin Odegaard, who made his first start for the club since August on Sunday.

"What I'm praying for is that after the international break, we have the team fully physically equipped, that they are available and that they are fit because it's been a nightmare for eight weeks," he added.

"Doubt after doubt, issue after issue, not only with the ones that are not able to play but with the ones who are able to play."

Mikel Arteta is unsure on the severity of the injuries sustained by Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber as Arsenal twice surrendered the lead in a 2-2 draw with title rivals Liverpool on Sunday.

Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino were on target for the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium but Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah both equalised to ensure Arne Slot's men would leave with a point.

There was a noticeable shift in momentum when Arsenal, already without the suspended William Saliba, lost Gabriel and Timber to injuries after the break.

Asked by Sky Sports for an update after the game, Arteta said: " Well I don't know exactly what happened (with Timber) but he said he cannot carry on and big Gabi as well, so I don't know."

Prompted on Gabriel specifically, he said: "I don't know."

Arteta felt his side were the better side even accounting for the injuries, adding: "Even with the changes I thought we were the better team, we deserved to win the game.

"But obviously we didn't so there are learnings to take from that especially when we concede both goals, the second one the transition moment, we ended up in the final third then 10 seconds later we are two-on-one in our box at this level against this team, obviously you cannot give this away."

Saka acknowledged that losing Gabriel was a momentum shifter in the game but said the incident cannot be used as an excuse by the Gunners, who are now five points off leaders Manchester City in third place.

"Yeah of course he's a big player for us, that's not an excuse we have to adapt and do our best whoever's on the pitch," he said.

"It's (the mood in the dressing room) a bit disappointed, credit to Liverpool they're a good team but we just felt like we didn't show our best selves for the full 90 minutes."

Saka had also missed the past two matches with injury and he was chomping at the bit to be involved.

"I hate missing games, it was really frustrating to be on the side watching, I just had this game on my mind. I was happy to be back out there today."

Mikel Arteta says Arsenal are not "feeling sorry" for themselves ahead of welcoming Liverpool to the Emirates Stadium, despite their depleted squad.

Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori, who went off in their Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday, are all injury doubts for this match, while Martin Odegaard is also unavailable.

Arteta also has to contend with a suspension, with William Saliba out after being sent off against Bournemouth in Arsenal's 2-0 defeat last weekend.

The Gunners have a worrying record without the Frenchman in their starting line-up; he has missed just 11 games since his debut in 2022, with Arsenal boasting a 74%-win rate with him in the side compared to just 45.5% without him.

Arsenal are, however, in good form against Liverpool at home, winning their last two such Premier League matches, and Arteta is upbeat ahead of their latest clash against the Reds.

"This is the game. We obviously don't want to be in this situation, but we are lucky to have the squad we have and the attitude to react to difficult situations," Arteta said.

"We don't feel sorry for ourselves, we face it, and we know how good we are.

"We have different options [in defence]. That partnership [between William Saliba and Gabriel] has been very stable but we have to find a solution.

"[There's] so much going on with the backline, but we have had to adapt to that and the versatile players have been really useful.

"We had a day off after the Champions League and two days to prepare the game. This is a big match, a big opportunity, and we love these kind of matches at the Emirates. The team is really looking forward to it.

"We have to maintain playing with dominance and belief. Our belief, energy and commitment is needed in a big match like this."

Liverpool sit top of the table going into the weekend's fixtures having lost just one of their 12 matches under Arne Slot so far. Arsenal are currently four points adrift of the pacesetters, who could sit second by kick-off if Manchester City beat Southampton.

Arteta was full of praise for the work Slot has done since moving to Merseyside, but brushed off the idea that this game was his biggest test as Arsenal boss so far.

"Arne Slot's start has been very good. They are in a really great moment and run. They're a team who, for nine years, have been competing at the highest level.

"We have had very difficult and challenging moments, but I don't think this is one of them. We are so energised; the atmosphere will be tremendous, and we are really looking forward to the game.

"I never think about losing. I don't spend one second on the preparation thinking about if we lose it. It is just very bad luck [with the injuries].

"They are difficult issues and traumatic injuries. International ones are difficult to control. It can happen, but it is about how we can react to it and change it. The team have to mentally adapt to that and maintain the belief that even with the team like this, we are still a great team."

Mikel Arteta has been dealt another injury blow ahead of their blockbuster clash with Liverpool after Riccardo Calafiori limped off against Shakhtar Donetsk. 

The Gunners scraped to a 1-0 victory over the Ukrainian side in the Champions League thanks to a Dmytro Riznyk own goal, after the rebound of Gabriel Martinelli's shot off the post went in off his back. 

Arsenal were again without Bukayo Saka, who has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, while they will be without the suspended William Saliba on Sunday after he was sent off against Bournemouth.

This victory came with a cost as Calafiori was forced to leave the field in the 72nd minute, leaving Arteta unsure if the defender will be available this weekend.

"Riccy, I don't know, he felt something and could not continue playing so [it's a] bit of a worry," he told TNT Sports. While talking in his post-match press conference, Arteta added: "He had to come off because he felt something. I don't know the extent of that. So, in that sense, not great news."

"I don't know, sorry, [Saka] wasn't able to train yet, so that's unlikely," he added.

Arsenal were far from their best, with Leandro Trossard seeing a spot-kick saved 13 minutes from time, while David Raya was called into action to preserve their win with a big save.

It was a third consecutive clean sheet in the Champions League, which is their first such run since keeping four under Arsene Wenger in November 2007.

They generated just 1.8 expected goals (xG) on Tuesday, having 13 shots, with five of those on target, but Arteta was happy with the reaction he saw from his team.

"Very pleased with the result," he said. "Always difficult in Champions League.

"We should've scored more in the first half and the second half, I felt a bit of fatigue. Playing 60 minutes with 10 men a few days ago is difficult. We left the game a bit open but we dug in for three points.

"I don't know if [the penalty miss] was related to fatigue. Credit to Shakhtar, they are brave.

"When you give them time on the ball, and you lose the ball, you will suffer. I don't know [why Kai Havertz didn't take the penalty]. He is one of the takers, but Leo took it."

England have confirmed that Arsenal's Bukayo Saka and Liverpool's Curtis Jones have withdrawn from the squad ahead of their Nations League clash with Finland on Sunday. 

Saka was replaced by Noni Madueke in the 51st minute during England's shock 2-1 defeat to Greece at Wembley on Thursday after picking up an injury in his right leg.

It only adds to Mikel Arteta's injury worries ahead of facing Bournemouth next Saturday after Martin Odegaard was injured on international duty for Norway last month. 

Saka has enjoyed a fine start to the Premier League campaign, scoring two goals and laying on a further seven assists in the Gunners' opening seven games. 

The England international has also created more chances (27) than any other player in the division, with his nine goal involvements a total only bettered by Chelsea's Cole Palmer (11) and Manchester City's Erling Haaland (10). 

Lee Carsley will also be without uncapped Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, who was added to the Three Lions squad earlier this week, but has since withdrawn due to a personal commitment. 

Jones earned his first call-up in May as part of Gareth Southgate's provisional 33-man squad for Euro 2024, but did not make the final cut.

The 23-year-old was part of the Young Lions side that won the 2023 European Under-21 Championship under Carsley, scoring the only goal in their 1-0 win over Spain in the final.

Mikel Arteta has hailed Bukayo Saka's maturity and labelled what the Arsenal winger is producing as "unbelievable".

Saka produced two assists and scored Arsenal's third goal in the Gunners' 3-1 comeback win over Southampton on Saturday.

The England international leads the way for chances created (27), big chances created (12), assists (seven) and expected assists (3.16) in the Premier League this season, while only Manchester City's Bernardo Silva (19) has crafted more opportunities from open play than Saka (17).

With Martin Odegaard out injured, Saka has also taken on the responsibility of captain, and Arteta is thrilled with what the 23-year-old is delivering.

"That's the maturity and that's the steps that players have to do. He has been long enough in the team now, he has the right to have that role," said the Arsenal manager, as quoted by Sky Sports.

"He believes in that, that he has the capacity to change games, to decide games, like many other players, and he wants to be at the top.

"I think it's another step ahead, and it's what he wants.

"Do it at home, do it away, do it in big games, in the not-so-big games, and when the team needs it, not when it's 3-0. That is what defines a top, top player.

"What he's doing at his age is unbelievable. We have many examples of that as well."

Saka's next goal in the Premier League will be his 50th for Arsenal.

Since his debut in late 2018, only Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (50) has netted more goals in the competition for the Gunners than Saka (49).

Indeed, in that time, Saka leads Arsenal for chances created (320), big chances created (54) and assists (42), having played 177 times in the top flight, 35 times more than any other Gunners player.

Mikel Arteta showered praise on his Arsenal players after their 3-1 victory against Southampton, saying his squad will "always find a way" to win.

The Gunners bounced back from Cameron Archer's opener to earn their 400th Premier League home win on Saturday, with Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka on target. 

Arsenal enter the international break in third, hot on the heels of leaders Liverpool and level on points with Manchester City. 

They also continued their impressive record against Southampton, extending their unbeaten run against them in the top flight to 25 matches (W17 D8), but the hosts were made to work for the win. 

Arteta's side registered 14 shots in the first half with an expected goals (xG) total of 1.15, though their only shot on target came in stoppage time courtesy of Thomas Partey. 

The introduction of Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Mikel Merino prompted an improvement in attack shortly after Havertz's leveller.

"The start was exceptional, the dominance, the chances. It was unbelievable not to go one, two, three goals up," Arteta said. 

"We conceded the goal, and then it was game on.

"I thought the team reacted with a lot of authority, and I am happy the team can react like this - but not happy after the chances we had that we had to go through that.

"The substitutes changed the energy and also the feel in the crowd. We won in the end and I think we deserved it. This team always finds a way.

"The way we started was phenomenal, but we didn't get our reward. We had a difficult context at 1-0 but we did it."

Arteta also lauded Saka's performance after the England international took his goal involvement tally to nine for the season with his strike coming after two assists.

This campaign, only Erling Haaland and Cole Palmer (10 each) have been involved in more goals than Saka. 

The 23-year-old has also taken on the role of captain in Martin Odegaard's absence, something Arteta believes Saka is embracing. 

"For sure. That's the maturity and steps players have to do. He's been in the team long enough to earn the right to have that role. He believes in that," Arteta said. 

"He has the capacity to change and decide games like many other players. If we want to be at the top, sometimes players have to create those moments, and he's certainly done that again today."

Southampton, meanwhile, are now without a win in their last 20 Premier League matches, equalling their longest top-flight winless run (a run of 20 between August and December in 1969).

But they had their moments to level the contest, with Tyler Dibling's deflected effort and Taylor Harwood-Bellis' header striking the woodwork prior to Saka's settler.

"I feel so much more positive and proud of my team than I did on Monday [after a 3-0 defeat at Bournemouth], and we played against one of the best teams in the country," Russell Martin told BBC Sport.

"If we play like that in the next block of games, I'd be very happy. I think we're learning and growing, and we're on a journey. But we're doing it under huge scrutiny and the intensity of the Premier League.

"I have to keep the guys on track and on path. There's a lot to be frustrated about, we don't have enough points on the board and a win yet, but I loved all of our resilience."

Arsenal came from a goal down to earn their 400th Premier League home win as they overcame a plucky Southampton 3-1 at Emirates Stadium.

Cameron Archer stunned the hosts in the 55th minute, firing a low effort into the bottom corner after being picked out by Mateus Fernandes’ raking pass.

But the Gunners responded three minutes later through Kai Havertz, who continued his scoring streak at the Emirates with a fierce strike beyond his former team-mate Aaron Ramsdale.

The comeback was complete 10 minutes later when Bukayo Saka’s teasing delivery to the back post found substitute Gabriel Martinelli.

Saka himself then sealed the triumph with a fine first-time finish, with Arsenal remaining third, behind Liverpool and Manchester City, while Southampton sit in 19th.

Data Debrief: Saka the king of Fortress Emirates

Arsenal's triumph saw them secure their 400th home Premier League victory, becoming just the second side to reach the milestone after Manchester United (428 home wins).

But the comeback win was largely down to the performance of Saka, who has now assisted in six of Arsenal’s seven Premier League games this season, (seven in total – three more than any other player in 2024-25), while he provided two assists in a single league game for just a second time. 

Only Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Chelsea's Cole Palmer (10 each) have more Premier League goal involvements than Saka this term (nine – two goals and seven assists).

Havertz's equaliser also saw him become the first player to score in seven consecutive home appearances for Arsenal in all competitions since Robin van Persie between December 2011 – March 2012 (also a run of seven).

Bukayo Saka believes this is Arsenal's year to end Manchester City's reign over the Premier League, ahead of winless Southampton visiting the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Arsenal and City are the only unbeaten teams in the Premier League after six matchdays, with both taking 14 points to trail Liverpool by a single point at the summit.

Mikel Arteta's team secured a thrilling 4-2 win over Leicester City last week before seeing off Paris Saint-Germain by a 2-0 scoreline in the Champions League on Tuesday.

With many tipping Arsenal to again challenge City, particularly after the champions lost midfielder Rodri to a serious knee injury, Saka believes the Gunners have a golden opportunity.

"I don't want to put too much pressure on us but I do think that this is the year," Saka told CBS Sports after the win over PSG.

"I think we've been close the last two years and we're getting closer but this hopefully will be the year."

Speaking to Amazon Prime, the 23-year-old later added: "Previous years, I've come runners-up a lot. It's just that spirit in me that I want to win this season and of course, I believe in myself a lot.

"With those two things, it helps. We believe in ourselves, we believe we're a top team. I did tell the boys we have to make a statement when teams are coming to the Emirates."

Southampton have taken just one point from six league games since winning promotion from the Championship, making this the joint-worst start to any league campaign in their history (also one point in the top flight in 1998-99).

They were beaten 3-1 by south coast rivals Bournemouth last time out on Monday, leading defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis to slam their performance levels.

"I think it's just about taking ownership as players, doing your bit and not going inside yourself, not playing a solo game," he said.

"It's just about sticking together... we cannot be 3-0 down with the quality and characters we've got in that group, we cannot be. That's obviously including myself."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Arsenal – Kai Havertz

One player who has particularly enjoyed turning out at the Emirates lately is Havertz, who netted against PSG on Tuesday and has also scored six goals in his last six league games on the ground. 

He has netted in four successive home Premier League games, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the last player to score in five straight for the Gunners, in September 2019.

Southampton – Aaron Ramsdale 

Former Gunners shot-stopper Ramsdale could become the ninth goalkeeper to face Arsenal in the Premier League after previously representing them in the competition.

Only one of the previous eight, Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez, has previously kept a clean sheet in his first such match, doing so in a 3-0 victory at the Emirates in November 2020.

MATCH PREDICTION – ARSENAL WIN

Southampton have actually caused Arsenal problems lately, going unbeaten through the teams' last three Premier League meetings (one win, two draws), with both of their matches in 2022-23 finishing level – including a 3-3 draw at the Emirates.

However, Saints have visited Arsenal 24 times in the Premier League without ever tasting victory, drawing eight times and losing 16. That is the most any team has visited another in the competition without winning.

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 28 home league games against Southampton since a 1-0 defeat in November 1987. Only against Fulham (a current run of 31) have they had a longer unbeaten home run in their league history.

Across 2024-25 and their relegation season in 2022-23, Southampton are now winless in 19 Premier League matches, drawing five and losing 14. Only once in their top-flight history have they endured a longer such run, going 20 games without a victory between August and December 1969.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are unbeaten in their last 40 Premier League home games against promoted clubs, winning 35 and drawing five. Only Chelsea (43 between 2001 and 2015) and City (41 between 2007 and 2020) have had longer such runs in the competition's history.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Arsenal – 78.5%

Southampton – 8.7% 

Draw – 12.8% 

Having won an unprecedented fourth straight Premier League title last season, Manchester City have wasted no time in stealing a march on their rivals in 2024-25.

As the only team to register a perfect four wins from four matches, City already boast a two-point lead over their closest challengers, the identity of whom also comes as no surprise.

Such has been City's brilliance, that amassing 173 points across the last two seasons has not been enough for Arsenal to end their long wait for a Premier League crown.

However, last week's North London Derby victory over Tottenham saw them display all the hallmarks of potential champions, keeping their fierce rivals at arm's length in a composed performance as Gabriel Magalhaes' header made the difference. 

But can the Gunners go one step further and do what they could not last season – win at the Etihad Stadium?

Ahead of the biggest game of the season to date, we dive into the Opta data to bring you the best facts and figures surrounding both teams.

What's expected?

Given City's fearsome record at home to Arsenal, it comes as no surprise to see the Opta supercomputer make them favourites.

City are unbeaten in their last nine Premier League home games against the Gunners, winning seven and drawing two since a 2-0 defeat back in January 2015.

Across 10,000 pre-match simulations conducted by the supercomputer, City were victorious in 58.6%, with Arsenal only taking the spoils in 19.8% of scenarios.

A repeat of March's draw between the teams, which was not enough for Arsenal to get over the line in the title race, is assigned a 21.6% likelihood.

Whatever happens, something has to give on Sunday. City have won each of their last 13 Premier League matches, and there have only ever been six cases of a team winning 14 or more in a row. 

City – and current boss Pep Guardiola – are responsible for half of those instances, winning 18 straight in 2017, 15 in a row in 2019 and the same amount in 2021.

Arsenal, though, have not trailed at any stage in their last 11 away Premier League matches. They could become the first team in the competition's history to go 12 straight road games without falling behind, with Aston Villa also enjoying an 11-game run back in 1998.

Haaland the centurion?

Erling Haaland was frustrated as City fired a blank in their midweek Champions League opener versus Inter, going close twice in the first half but failing to bring up his 100th goal for the club.

The Norwegian reached 99 goals in City blue with a brace in last weekend's comeback win over Brentford, and he has now scored a scarcely believable nine goals in four Premier League games this season.

Eight of those have come in his last three league outings – hat-tricks versus Ipswich Town and West Ham, and a double against Brentford. 

In Premier League history, only Luis Suarez has ever scored multiple goals in four straight appearances, netting one hat-trick and three braces in a tremendous run for Liverpool in December 2013.

Another goal here would also see Haaland smash the record for the fewest games taken to reach double figures for Premier League goals at the start of a season, with Mick Quinn in 1992-93 and Haaland himself in 2022-23 previously doing so in six outings.

Haaland's overall tally of 72 Premier League goals – which have come in just 70 appearances – places him third in City's all-time goalscoring charts in the competition, behind only Sergio Aguero (184) and Raheem Sterling (91) – who could line up for Arsenal on Sunday after arriving on loan from Chelsea.

Should Haaland find the net on Sunday, which could be his 105th appearance for City overall, he would match the number of games Cristiano Ronaldo required to hit a ton of goals for Real Madrid.

For further context, Lionel Messi needed 188 to bring up a century for Barcelona, Robert Lewandowski required 136 at Bayern Munich and City legend Aguero took 158 matches.

With the pretenders to City's throne in town, what better time for Haaland to bring up yet another goalscoring landmark?

Fortune favours the brave?

Arsenal did come out on top in their duels with City last season, taking four points via a 1-0 home win and their hard-fought goalless draw at the Etihad. 

That is double the number they managed in their previous 15 league meetings with the Citizens, recording two draws and 13 defeats. 

Both Guardiola and Mikel Arteta were cautious in their Easter-Day draw, with many onlookers berating the sight of eight (yes, eight) recognised centre-backs starting in a game that produced a mere 1.68 expected goals (xG) in total. 

Arsenal managed two clean sheets against Guardiola's men last term, having conceded in 16 straight against them beforehand, shipping 40 goals in total in that run.

Arsenal then followed that draw by winning eight of their last nine games of the season, only slipping up in a 2-0 home loss to Aston Villa, but it was not enough. For a team trying to dethrone City, it often feels as though nothing is.

If the Gunners are to make it third time lucky in their pursuit of title glory this term, they may need to take both of their chances to beat City.

While Arteta figured out a way to contain City in 2023-24, his team must show more attacking enterprise on Sunday than they did on their last trip to the Etihad, when their six shots totalled just 0.66 xG. That was their fewest attempts in a single Premier League fixture since November 2021, when they had five in a 4-0 loss at Liverpool.

Arsenal also managed just 15 touches in City's box to their opponents' 40, their fewest in any Premier League match last season, while only at Bournemouth (28 in a ruthless 4-0 win) did they play fewer passes into the final third last term (36).

The Gunners have been steady, rather than spectacular, through their opening four matches of the season, ranking joint-14th in the Premier League for shots (45) and 14th for xG (4.99) despite having the fourth-most touches in opposition areas (140).

Loathe as he may be to do so, Arteta might need to take the handbrake off on Sunday.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Manchester City – Jeremy Doku

Doku was limited to the role of substitute as City were kept at bay by Inter on Wednesday, but it would be no surprise to see Guardiola inject his electric pace from the off here.

The Belgium international leads all players in the Premier League this season for total progress upfield during carries (747.81 metres) and ranks second for progressive carries (64), behind only Brighton's Jan Paul van Hecke (66). In fact, he is the only non-centre-back to make the top seven for that particular metric.

Arsenal – Bukayo Saka

Saka has been involved in five of Arsenal's six Premier League goals so far this season (one goal, four assists), assisting a goal in all four games so far.

In Premier League history, only Gunners great Thierry Henry (2004-05) has provided an assist in each of a team's first five matches in a season.

The Premier League is back following the first international break of the season, and Sunday's headline fixture looks to be worth the wait as Tottenham host Arsenal.

The first North London Derby of the campaign comes after disappointing results for both sides on matchday three, with Arsenal losing early ground on Manchester City and Liverpool as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton.

Ange Postecoglou's Spurs, meanwhile, were beaten 2-1 at Newcastle United, leaving them three points behind their rivals in the early-season standings.

What can we expect as these North London heavyweights go head-to-head for local bragging rights at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium?

By diving into the Opta data, we can bring you all the best pre-match facts, figures and storylines.

What's expected?

Arsenal have had the upper hand in the North London Derbies of late, and the Opta supercomputer makes them slight favourites despite the absence of home advantage.

They were victorious in 40% of the supercomputer's 10,000 pre-match simulations, with Tottenham triumphing in 34.1% and the remaining 26% finishing all square. 

Arsenal have won their last two Premier League away games against Tottenham, as many as in their previous 17 such visits (six draws and nine defeats). They last won three consecutive away North London Derbies between January 1987 and September 1988.

Draws have been a rarity at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which has seen the lowest percentage of draws (9%, 9/101) of any ground in Premier League history, so perhaps we should not expect the spoils to be shared. 

When will Tottenham stop being Spursy?

The adjective 'Spursy' is not one any team wishes to be tagged with, coming to denote a side that flatters to deceive and ultimately falls short of expectations.

Postecoglou has made no secret of his desire to cast that perception aside and make Tottenham true contenders, but their start to 2024-25 has thrown up several familiar themes.

Spurs were utterly dominant on matchday one but could not hold onto a 1-0 lead at newly promoted Leicester City, starting their second straight season under Postecoglou with an underwhelming draw.

After routing hapless Everton, they were then beaten 2-1 at Newcastle despite firing off 20 shots to the hosts' nine, also enjoying 65.7% possession and playing almost as many passes in the final third (235) as Newcastle did overall (261). 'Spursy' indeed.

The North London Derby is a fixture in which Tottenham have struggled lately, losing five of their last seven Premier League meetings with Arsenal (one win and one draw).

That is more defeats than they suffered in their previous 16 against their rivals (six wins, six draws and four defeats).

These fixtures have so often been an acid test of Spurs' resilience, and they must improve their defending for a matchup that has not featured many clean sheets lately. 

Arsenal versus Tottenham has seen both teams score more often than any other fixture in Premier League history (43 times), while it is also the fixture to see the team who scored first fail to win more often than any other (29 times, 19 draws and 10 losses).

Can Gunners replace Rice?

There was much for Mikel Arteta to be frustrated about as Arsenal dropped their first points of the campaign last time out, squandering a 1-0 lead in a 1-1 draw with Brighton.

But it could be that the sending-off of Rice, who received a second yellow card for kicking the ball away early in the second half, proves more of an inconvenience than the result.

The first red card of Rice's Premier League career – coming on his 245th appearance in the competition – has handed Arteta a major selection dilemma in the engine room.

Rice started 37 of the Gunners' 38 Premier League games last season, appearing as a substitute in the other. It is often said that availability is the best ability, and Rice's 3,230 Premier League minutes in 2023-24 were only bettered by eight other outfielders – team-mate William Saliba (with a full 3,420) among them.

With Rice patrolling the midfield, Arsenal were a picture of control last season, giving up the joint-fourth fewest fast breaks in the Premier League (23) and the joint-fifth fewest shots from fast breaks (20).

Thomas Partey and Jorginho, the men likely to be tasked with holding the fort, will come up against a Spurs side with plenty of pace in transition, and the likes of Son Heung-min, Wilson Odobert and Brennan Johnson will be desperate to exploit his absence.

Tottenham scored three goals from 25 fast breaks in Premier League action last term, finding the net every 8.3 fast breaks on average – only eight teams netted from such situations at a greater frequency.

Rice did much to help Arsenal build the Premier League's most fearsome defence last term, and they approach Sunday's game with eight shutout victories in their last 10 away league games (nine wins, one draw).

Elsewhere, captain Martin Odegaard is a doubt after sustaining an injury on international duty with Norway, with their absences potentially handing Spurs a golden opportunity.

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Tottenham – Son Heung-min

Tottenham skipper Son has scored eight goals against Arsenal in all competitions. In the history of the fixture, only Harry Kane (14), Emmanuel Adebayor (10) and Bobby Smith (10) have netted more North London Derby goals than the South Korean.

Seven of Son's North London Derby goals have come in the Premier League, with no other current Spurs player boasting more than two strikes against the Gunners in the competition.

Arsenal – Bukayo Saka

Saka scored home and away goals against Tottenham in the Premier League last season. The only previous Arsenal players to score in three or more consecutive North London Derby appearances in the competition are Emmanuel Adebayor (five between 2006 and 2008) and Robert Pires (four between 2002 and 2004).

Saka has also been involved in more attacking sequences than any other Arsenal player in the Premier League this term (22 – 10 shots, seven chances created and five build-up involvements), scoring once against Wolves on matchday one.

Brighton moved top of the Premier League after holding 10-man Arsenal to a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium.

Kai Havertz's first-half strike was cancelled out by Joao Pedro, while the hosts played most of the second half with a player less following Declan Rice's red card for two bookable offences.

The Gunners broke the deadlock seven minutes before half-time when Bukayo Saka outmuscled Lewis Dunk before teeing up Havertz, who lifted the ball into the empty net over the outrushing Bart Verbruggen.

However, Mikel Arteta's side were reduced to 10 men within four minutes of the restart, with Rice shown a second yellow card after he was deemed to have prevented the taking of a Brighton free-kick.

The Seagulls were level just nine minutes later when David Raya parried Yankuba Minteh's initial strike straight to Joao Pedro, who made no mistake from close range.

Fabian Hurzeler's side looked more likely to grab the game's decisive third goal as they dominated possession later on but, in the end, were forced to settle for a share of the spoils.

Data Debrief: Saka matches Henry as Gunners' winning streak stalls

Arteta's side will count themselves fortunate to have taken a point from this contest, given they enjoyed just under 25% of the second-half possession at the Emirates - albeit a man light after the first red card of Rice's 245-match Premier League career.

The Gunners started well as they sought a ninth straight league win, and were deserving of their lead through Havertz's fourth goal in as many appearances against Brighton - and his seventh in nine home games.

His effort came after clever play from Saka, whose assist was his third in as many matches this term. The only Arsenal player to previously provide an assist in each of their opening three games of a Premier League season was a certain Thierry Henry in 2004-05.