Six Arsenal fitness updates from Mikel Arteta ahead of Manchester City visit | OneFootball

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has issued a wide-ranging update on six members of his first-team squad ahead of the clash with Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.

The Gunners welcome an in-form Manchester City side to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, with Pep Guardiola and co aiming for a third win in seven days following triumphs over Manchester United and Napoli at the Etihad Stadium.

City were handed one of their most damaging defeat of the Guardiola era by Arsenal in February as goals from Myles Lewis-Skelly, Thomas Partey, Ethan Nwaneri, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz sealed a stylish 5-1 win for the north Londoners over a lacklustre City side.

After undergoing a slow start to the 2025-26 season with two defeats in their opening trio of Premier League games, Manchester City have turned a corner since the international break with convincing victories over Manchester United and Napoli.

Three games in the space of a week is not a scheduling demand unknown to Guardiola but many members of the new-look first-team squad formed in the recent transfer window will still be adapting to the high standards at the Etihad Stadium.

Having suffered early defeats to Brighton and Tottenham, Manchester City are walking on a tightrope in the Premier League title race as title holders Liverpool and Arsenal set the pace for the rest of division with eye-catching starts to their respective campaigns.

Guardiola will know that his side can ill-afford many more slip-ups in the early stages of the campaign because whilst the Premier League cannot be won in the autumn, it can certainly be lost early doors – as Manchester City discovered in brutal fashion last term.

Speaking in his pre-City press conference, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta issued a number of updates on key names from his first-team squad and figures that had been deemed as doubts coming into the clash at the Emirates Stadium.

Quizzed on whether any of Ben White, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard had a chance of being involved having missed a midweek trip to face Athletic Club, Arteta said: “If there’s a chance, it’ll be after tomorrow’s session because they haven’t done anything yet, so we’ll have more information tomorrow.”

Further questions concerned Mikel Merino and Victor Gyokeres following respective head injuries in the Champions League, to which Arteta added: “Yes, they’re fine. They will be available.”

Finally, William Saliba – who remained as an unused substitute in the 0-2 win in Spain – received the following response from his manager amid questions on whether he would start at the Emirates Stadium: “Let’s see. Obviously, he’s been carrying an injury.

“He’s done really well to be available for the last match. He’s really pushing it, so we’ll decide tomorrow what’s the best start.”

Manchester City will be aiming for nothing less than three points from north London on Sunday and whilst a draw would not be the end of the world, a victory can give the group a timely confidence boost after City’s stuttering start to the 2025-26 campaign.