Pep Guardiola welcomes Unai Emery as Arsenal host Man City

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Arsenal will take host league championS Manchester City in the club’s first league game since the exit of Arsene Wenger as coach.

The hosts have had torrid opening fixtures for the previous seasons, winning 4-3 in 2016 against Leicester City and lost by the same margin to Liverpool in 2017 at home and 2018’s opener against Manchester City is set to produce more goals.

Arsenal have loads of injuries Nacho Monreal and Sead Kolasinac are out and head coach Unai Emery has hinted that Danny Welbeck could start in defence.

Kolasinac and fellow defender Laurent Koscielny are long-term absentees with respective knee and Achilles injuries.

The news in the camp of Manchester City looks pretty good, the club’s record signing Riyad Mahrez is set to make his first Premier League appearance for the Citizens.

World Cup pair Raheem Sterling and Kevin de Bruyne have been passed fit, while left-back Benjamin Mendy could start his first league game since September 2017.

Facts and figures about the two sides

The Gunners have been struggling lately against the Citizens having won just two of their past 12 clashes (D5, L5)

Manchester City managed to beat Arsenal last season at the Emirates and should they churn out the results this term, it will be the first time they will secure consecutive away victories against the Gunners, since 1936.

This is the first time that Arsenal will face the reigning champions on the opening day since 1970, when they drew 2-2 with Everton.

The last time these sides met on the opening day was in 1994, when George Graham’s Arsenal side won 3-0 at Highbury.