History Of The Fixture:
Manchester City meet up with Arsenal on Sunday for, what will be, the 192nd meeting between the two. Historically, Manchester City haven’t had the greatest of results against the Gunners.
Winning only 50 of the meetings, City have lost almost double that amount, 96.
The first meeting between the two was actually almost 124 years ago to the day of Sundays fixture. On the 11th November 1893, Woolwich Arsenal played, and defeated, Ardwick 1-0.
The very next season we changed our name from Ardwick to Manchester City. Arsenal wouldn’t drop ‘Woolwich’ until the 1920’s.
An important game in City’s history actually came with a 4-1 defeat against Woolwich Arsenal on September 1st 1906. This was the first game for City after the side was decimated after the FA investigation into illegal payments.
Seventeen players, the Manager, Chairman and a couple of directors were punished. Most players were moved onto United meaning we were a skeleton of a side. The fact we could even field a side was a miracle, although only six finished the game due to the immense heat.
Fast forwarding to more recent times and things are looking better for the side from Manchester. The last home defeat to Arsenal was back in January 18th, 2015. On that day Manchester City lost 2-0, with both Arsenal scorers that day still with the club. For Manchester City, not including Joe Hart, City only have five players remaining from the game that day.
In the last decade of seasons, including one League Cup fixture, City have hosted Arsenal eleven times. In those fixtures, Manchester City have been victorious on six occasions. On the losing end only three times, they have scored 23 goals and conceded 17. That includes the 6-3 victory just over a week before Christmas 2014 (pictured above)