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The reported timeline for Michail Antonio’s recovery from a horror car crash suggests that 2025 will be a complete write-off for the West Ham star.

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• Jamaica international collided with a tree
• Airlifted to hospital and has undergone surgery
• Yet to be determined if he can play again

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  In many ways, the 34-year-old Jamaica international is lucky to be alive after seeing his Ferrari collide with a tree on December 8. Antonio had to be airlifted to hospital, after being cut from the wreckage of his mangled vehicle, and has since undergone surgery on a lower-leg fracture.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While it has been claimed that it may take a year for him to walk again unaided, West Ham have not ruled out the possibility of Antonio’s contract – which is due to expire in the summer of 2025 – being extended. They will continue to support him throughout his rehabilitation.

• WHAT WEST HAM INSIDER SAID

  Antonio may, however, never be able to play again, with a Hammers insider telling of the next year potentially being spent away from the football field: “We have spoken to a source at the club regarding Michail Antonio and the current situation.

  “The club have confirmed that the current situation: ‘Antonio is improving, he might be home for Christmas, but it’s a 7-12 month recovery from here’. The club have said they will do all they can to support him during this difficult time.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Antonio will reach a decade of service with the Hammers in 2025, with 323 appearances made for the club, and it could be that he explores a move into coaching if injuries force him to consider premature retirement.

Spurs fans have been left wowed by Fabrizio Romano's report that Tottenham Hotspur are not settling for simply a deal to sell Giovani Lo Celso ahead of Friday's transfer deadline.

Tottenham transfer news

The Lilywhites have endured a solid summer of business, clearing any deadwood out of Ange Postecoglou's squad and welcoming the likes of Dominic Solanke and, most recently, Wilson Odobert from Burnley. The two attacking additions should help to add much-needed depth to the current Spurs side, who will undoubtedly be in pursuit of Champions League qualification for the first time under their Australian boss.

Tottenham fancy signing £60 million star alongside Joao Gomes – journalist

Ange Postecoglou could add a new midfielder to their ranks before the transfer cut-off.

By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 29, 2024

Their clear-out, meanwhile, is set to continue with the sale of Lo Celso. The midfielder looks set to finally complete a permanent move away from North London following previous loan spells at the likes of Villarreal. In the end, things never worked out for the Argentine at Spurs, no matter the manager. Clearly a talented midfielder given how he performed in Spain, Lo Celso will join a lengthy list of players begging the question of what might have been.

The Lilywhites are at least set to benefit from the deal, however. According to Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham have reached an agreement to sell Lo Celso to Real Betis but have also secured a first priority deal to sign Johnny Cardoso from the Spanish outfit if they want to in the future. Not only that, Spurs will get a percentage on any future sale of the United States defensive midfielder even if they choose not to pursue him themselves.

Reacting to the news, podcaster Ben Bowman praised Spurs, stating "now that is ambition" in response to Romano's tweet. Although there's certainly complications in the deal, and it remains to be seen whether Cardoso one day becomes a Spurs player, those in North London have seemingly got themselves a win-win scenario.

If Cardoso progresses, then Spurs will automatically be at the front of the queue for his signature with a deal all but wrapped up already. If they decide against signing the American, then they will still benefit financially from Real Betis' sale.

Tottenham would be wise to revisit "solid" Cardoso

Whilst it looks as though Cardoso will remain a Real Betis player at this moment in time, he's a player that Spurs should certainly revisit in January or next summer, using their place in pole position to their advantage.

Just 22 years old, the defensive midfielder has earned plenty of plaudits, including from analyst Ben Mattinson, who described Cardoso as a "solid dueller" and "calm under pressure" in two traits that all high-level midfielders should have in abundance.

A midfield duo for the future of Archie Gray and Cardoso is a mouth-watering enough prospect for all Spurs fans, including Bowman it seems.

Real Madrid have set a maximum limit on the amount they are willing to spend on Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold in the January window.

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• Real want to sign Trent in January
• Ready to pay a transfer fee for the full-back
• Liverpool rejected initial approach from Real

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per , Los Blancos are ready to pay a transfer fee to secure Alexander-Arnold's signature in the January transfer window. However, they have set a spending limit for the English full-back. Alexander-Arnold has made it clear that he will exit Anfield in 2025 after he rejected yet another contract renewal offer from the Reds.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Spanish champions have been plagued with multiple injury woes in the 2024-25 campaign, with their backline suffering the most. As a result, they are looking to add a new defender in the January window. The club are reportedly willing to pay up to €25 million (£20m/$26m) for Alexander-Arnold this month. However, if Liverpool do not agree to the sale, Real will wait until the summer to sign the England international on a free transfer.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  According to journalist , Real have already launched their first approach to buy Alexander-Arnold in the winter window, but that was emphatically rejected by the Premier League leaders.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  Liverpool will be back in action this Sunday as they host rivals Manchester United in a crucial Premier League encounter, with Alexander-Arnold likely to retain his place in Arne Slot's starting XI despite the ongoing speculation over his future.

Chelsea Football Club have become known in the past for their ability to employ numerous top-level centre-forwards who have supplied the goods in front of goal.

Didier Drogba, Diego Costa, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Nicolas Anelka are just a handful of players who captured the hearts of the supporters during their respective periods at Stamford Bridge.

Spaniard Costa was arguably the last striker who dominated during his time in West London, scoring 59 times in his 120 appearances for the Londoners during his three-year spell in the Premier League.

His all-round ability to score goals, whilst being able to pin a centre-back providing a focal point, or even play off the shoulder made him a real handful – playing a crucial in the club’s last league triumph back in 2016/17.

In 2024, Nicolas Jackson is the man tasked with leading the line for the Blues under new boss Enzo Maresca, scoring 16 goals in his last 39 league appearances after joining from Villarreal last summer.

Whilst the fanbase are still crying out for an upgrade on the Senegal international, he’s proven to be a solid talisman, undoubtedly better than one player who disappointed during his second spell at the Bridge.

Romelu Lukaku’s time at Chelsea

Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku first joined the Blues way back in 2011/12 from Anderlecht, arriving at the club as one for the future.

He enjoyed multiple successful spells at West Brom and Everton, before departing Chelsea in a £28m deal in the summer of 2014 – ending his three-year stay in the capital.

However, despite seeming a good fee at the time, it would be a deal the club would regret, re-signing the striker seven years later for a reported £97.5m as the club looked to build on their Champions League winning campaign the season prior under Thomas Tuchel.

Despite registering 15 goals in his first campaign back at Stamford Bridge, he would leave on loan to rejoin Inter Milan on loan after a fallout with the Chelsea boss.

His torrid second spell with the Blues would end this summer, joining Napoli in a £30m deal – reuniting him with former boss Antonio Conte, resulting in the club losing a staggering £67.5m in just a three-year period.

The transfer was a disaster all round, with his lack of goals coupled with his off-field antics tarnishing his time at the club despite the excitement around his return in 2021.

Lukaku’s big-money transfer would be made even more frustrating, especially considering the club were targeting another European talent before making the move for the Belgian that summer.

The man who Chelsea wanted alongside Lukaku

Chelsea’s hunt for a new striker in 2021 saw them land Lukaku, but they could’ve landed another top-level talent for around the same fee during the same transfer window.

A report from The Athletic states that the Blues were also interested in signing Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund, with the Bundesliga side demanding £100m for his services that summer.

The Norwegian would eventually move to Manchester City the following summer for a reported £51m due to a release clause in his deal with the German side.

The 24-year-old, who’s now valued at £152m as per Transfermarkt, has taken his career to the next level after his Premier League move, scoring 99 times in 103 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side, breaking the record for the most goals in a 38-game league season back in 2022/23.

He helped propel the club to their first-ever Champions League title in the same season, winning the treble in a truly remarkable campaign for City.

Haaland’s incredible goal record would have massively improved the Blues squad and aided their attempts to secure a first league title in eight years – but instead, they’re left looking down the barrel of their woeful investment in Lukaku.

Undoubtedly, the club must wish that they could turn back time and secure a deal for the prolific goalscorer, but now they have to sit back and watch the machine constantly find the back of the net for Guardiola’s side as they look to win a fifth league title in six years.

Chelsea flop sold in 2020 is now 'on par with Haaland' & outscoring Jackson

He fell by the wayside at Stamford Bridge…

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Sep 17, 2024

Robert Lewandowski is the “best player of all time” says Tomasz Kuszczak, with the Polish star sitting alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

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• Prolific Pole boasts remarkable record
• Starred for Dortmund, Bayern & Barca
• Considered to sit among GOAT group

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  At 36 years of age, prolific striker Lewandowski is – much like Messi and CR7 – showing no sign of slowing down. He has hit 26 goals for Barcelona this season, taking his overall tally for the Liga giants to 85 through 122 appearances.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Lewandowski previously found the target on 344 occasions across eight memorable years at Bayern Munich – which saw him win the Bundesliga and Champions League – while he is also a goal-scoring centurion at Borussia Dortmund. His strike rate is considered to be comparable to a couple of other all-time greats.

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  WHAT TOMASZ KUSZCZAK SAID

  Former Poland team-mate Kuszczak, speaking in association with , told GOAL when asked why the most fearsome of No.9s deserves his own GOAT status: “Robert Lewandowski, for me, if you judge the whole career, not spells of a career – look at many players, they had a great time for six or seven years and then get injured or they change club and don’t do well and have problems, or drop to a lower league somewhere to keep the same glory around them – Lewandowski is still the best player in the world of all time.

  “Why am I saying that? Obviously everyone is going to argue with me about it because there are other fantastic players. It is not just because I am Polish and he is my friend. It’s the mentality. If you look at Lewandowski’s career and the amount of goals and what he achieved. He was called, a few days ago, the best player in Germany’s history. If you can achieve that, it is something special.

  “With my friends we talk about Robert and the statistics, not the beauty of football – Robert is the executor, he is in the box. It doesn’t matter where he has played, he has always been the same. I am talking about difficult leagues.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Kuszczak, who won 11 senior caps for his country, added on what makes Lewandowski special: “When he started playing at Poznan as a young guy, he was exactly the same. Then he moved to Germany to Borussia and he became the top scorer in Germany, he won the Golden Boot twice. Then he moved to Bayern Munich and he kept doing this – top scorer, top scorer. I don’t know how many times, 10 maybe. Then he moved to Barcelona at an age where people could question him and say ‘come on, is he going to be the same?’ And he was the same – first season, won the Golden Boot and was top scorer.

  “To keep this pressure on your shoulders as a striker and to perform to score the goals for the club, all the ups and downs, and how to keep the expectations from the club and the fans, he has done it. In the last 12 years, he keeps going. Even when he gets to an age where you can say he’s getting older, at Barcelona it has been the same. There are a few games where he doesn’t score, then he scores two, three, two, three. He keeps going and this is amazing. I don’t know many players like that.

  “This is for somebody who likes the statistics and compares players to players of all time, but there are not many players in the top leagues, long-term, who have performed and won so many Golden Boots, scored so many goals.

  “If you look at players like goalkeepers, you can see how many saves they made and consistency. You can judge on that. If you judge a striker on how many goals he scored over the years and in different teams and leagues, you don’t get many. And we are talking top leagues and top teams which have big pressure, every game is pressure, it doesn’t matter what the game is, you have to perform and you have to score. This is what people are looking for. He has done it. For me, he is close to Messi. For me, Messi, Ronaldo and Lewandowski. If he can keep doing this for this season and next season, it will be amazing.”

Spared the axe following May’s shock FA Cup final triumph, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag will have been hoping to quieten the doubters this season, with the aim of getting off to a strong start under the new INEOS regime.

While change doesn’t happen overnight for a side perhaps still in that dreaded ‘transition’, the United hierarchy would no doubt have expected better after belatedly deciding to keep the Dutchman in the job, with the club already six points behind rivals Manchester City in the Premier League.

Even dropping into the Europa League has not helped matters for Ten Hag as the former Ajax boss saw his side slip to a 1-1 draw with the club of his heart, FC Twente, on Wednesday night, a result that will only heighten the pressure on the 54-year-old.

In truth, the experienced coach needs his key men to step up over the coming weeks, with the likes of Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes two of the more high-profile stars who have endured a mixed start to the season.

Rashford and Fernandes' form in 2024/25

On the face of it, it may appear as if both men have started the season rather well, with the pair both providing four goal contributions in eight games in all competitions to date.

That said, that return rather clouds their overall form, with Fernandes, in particular, having struggled to make his mark of late, after particularly erratic displays against both Twente and Crystal Palace over the past week or so.

Excluding the EFL Cup win over Barnsley – and the glorified friendly that is the Community Shield – the Portuguese playmaker only actually has one assist to his name so far this season, having also created just two ‘big chances’ in the league.

As for Rashford, the Englishman has certainly looked sharper of late with three goals and an assist from his last four appearances, although three of those goal involvements also came against League One opposition, raising the question as to whether he is truly ‘back’.

Those goal and assist returns will need to be far higher by the end of the season if United are to have a successful campaign, with one former asset currently outshining the pair away from Old Trafford.

Fred's start to life in Turkey

Let’s begin this section with the caveat that Ten Hag and co were likely correct in their decision to move on polarising star, Fred, back in the summer of 2023, with the Brazilian something of a mixed bag during his five-year spell in Manchester.

Capable of moments of magic – like his stunning strike against Barcelona in the Europa League – as well as head-scratching moments, having been dubbed “not good enough” by Roy Keane, the one-time £47m signing was allowed to depart last summer, joining Turkish giants Fenerbahce for a fee of just £13m.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

Moving on the 31-year-old did seem like an inevitability, but with question marks lingering over United’s current crop of midfielders – including the likes of Casemiro – perhaps there could still have been a role for him to play in Ten Hag’s ranks, particularly as he would ” give his last drop of blood for the team”, in the words of Ralf Rangnick.

As it is, Fred’s decision to move to Istanbul now looks particularly astute, with the former Shakhtar Donetsk man having registered 16 goals and assists in just 42 games for the Super Lig side to date.

The diminutive talent has notably thrived under the tutelage of his one-time United boss, Jose Mourinho, so far this season, having scored three goals – all of which came in the same game – and contributed two assists across all fronts.

That return of five goal involvements is thus remarkably actually ahead of what both Fernandes & Rashford have achieved back in Manchester, indicating the impact he has made in his new surroundings.

Even at a time when United are struggling, few will be left ruing the decision to let Fred leave, yet it does illustrate the woes of Ten Hag’s key men that even the Fenerbahce man is outperforming them in an attacking sense.

For United’s sake, let’s hope the Belo Horizonte native doesn’t have his shooting boots on when the two sides meet in the Europa League later this season…

Not just Gomes: Man Utd must activate buyback clause to re-sign amazing ace

The Red Devils could be tempted to bring back a former asset…

By
Robbie Walls

Sep 24, 2024

The Frenchman found the net three times to salvage an otherwise middling performance from Carlo Ancelotti's side

Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick to save an otherwise lacking Real Madrid, as they relied on three separate moments of class from their big summer signing to beat La Liga's 20th-placed team 3-0. Los Blancos were poor throughout, but tidy enough and reliant on a superstar to pick up a win that keeps them top of the table.

The Frenchman broke the deadlock after a slow Madrid start. A quick interchange with Jude Bellingham gave the forward space in the box and he comfortably found the bottom corner. Los Blancos were otherwise in a state of control against a Real Valladolid side that offered admittedly little. Rodrygo fired high and wide, while Bellingham saw a shot deflected away.

Another bit of magic opened the game up for good when Rodrygo fed Mbappe, who simply passed the ball across the goalkeeper to give Madrid daylight early in the second half.

He then completed his hat-trick in the 91st minute. Bellingham was brought down in the box, and after a lengthy VAR check, the referee pointed to the spot. Mbappe made no mistake to round off a convincing victory.

This was far from a signature performance. Madrid played down to the level of a side at the basement of La Liga. But three bits of quality killed things off. That might just end up being the story of Madrid's season.

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Estadio Jose Zorrilla…

• AFP
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Thibaut Courtois (7/10):

  Had a save to make inside five minutes. Was otherwise probably bored.

  Raul Asencio (7/10):

  A well-deserved start, albeit at an unfamiliar position. Tidy and deserved 90 minutes.

  Aurelien Tchouameni (6/10):

  Another run out at centre-back, where he still looks pretty uncomfortable.

  Antonio Rudiger (8/10):

  One excellent defensive recovery prevented a Valladolid break. Otherwise commanding at the back.

  Fran Garcia (6/10):

  A bit quiet, all said. Didn't offer much going forward at all.

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  Midfield

  Dani Ceballos (7/10):

  Completed 98 percent of his passes, even if most of them were sideways and 10-15 yards.

  Federico Valverde (6/10):

  Played centre midfield, then right-back. Not his most involved game, but a decent scrappy showing.

  Jude Bellingham (7/10):

  A delightful little flick set up Mbappe's opener. Never stopped running, and came close to scoring on a couple of occasions.

• AFP
  

  Attack

  Brahim Diaz (6/10):

  Struggled to get involved in the game. He seems to function better in a more central role.

  Kylian Mbappe (9/10):

  Automatic with his goals. It's absolutely zero coincidence that he is so much better when Vinicius isn't playing.

  Rodrygo (5/10):

  Deployed on the left with Vinicius Jr suspended. A few nice moments, but was also lacking at times – putting the odd shot wide.

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  Subs & Manager

  Luka Modric (6/10):

  Floated around a bit. Should have scored late on.

  David Alaba (6/10):

  A solid run out.

  Arda Guler (6/10):

  Showed some creativity. Could have started ahead of Diaz.

  Endrick (N/A):

  No time to make an impact.

  Lorenzo Aguado (N/A):

  No time to make an impact.

  Carlo Ancelotti (7/10):

  He won't be happy with his team's performance here. Madrid were sloppy throughout, and relied on individual quality to pick up three points. Still, not every week can be spellbinding.

A £17,000-a-week Celtic player has been ruled out of the upcoming international break with a new injury, it has been reported.

Celtic suffer first defeat of 2024/25 against Borussia Dortmund

The Hoops tasted defeat for the first time in the 2024/25 season under Brendan Rodgers, losing 7-1 to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. Daizen Maeda cancelled out Emre Can’s opener in the first 10 minutes, however, after that, it was all Dortmund, with Karim Adeyemi hitting a first-half hat-trick.

A couple of Celtic players came in for criticism in the media, including left-back Greg Taylor and permanent summer signing Paulo Bernardo, and Rodgers will be looking for an immediate response against Ross County prior to the international break.

Celtic plan to agree new off-field deal which Hoops once called magnificent

It is one to watch before the end of 2024.

By
Charlie Smith

Oct 3, 2024

Right-back Alistair Johnston was one Celtic player who spoke to the media after the heavy defeat in Germany and said: “We have got to understand what we did wrong, what they punished us with and what we did right. There aren’t as many things we did right in this match unfortunately, but there will be little moments where we could make a little change to be braver in our positioning, be more compact defensively and things like that. We will get it sorted out.

“It’s a really confident group we have here. We are not going to let this wobble us at all. We just have to understand it can happen, but it can’t happen again.”

Johnston was brought off with minutes remaining of the midweek encounter and looked to be in some pain, with a new Celtic injury update emerging.

Celtic injury latest – Alistair Johnston out of Canada squad

As reported by The Scottish Sun, Johnston has been left out of the Canada squad as he rehabs from a back injury. That’s according to Canada boss Jesse Marsch, who said: “Alistair Johnston and midfielder Ismael Kone are both rehabbing injuries. It’s back and ankle injuries for them.”

It seems as if Johnston, on £17,000-a-week, would have been included in the squad for Canada’s upcoming friendly against Panama if it wasn’t for this new injury, and you’d expect then that the 25-year-old will be missing against Ross County also.

So far this season, Johnston has made six Scottish Premiership appearances, scoring one goal and providing an assist, while also playing a League Cup game and two Champions League ties.

He was hailed by Steven Caldwell last year, who said on the right-back: “His real strength is his mentality in terms of the way he applies himself and how professional and athletic he is. He’s a voracious learner, always wanting to get better, challenge himself. He has an honesty, a sort of British mentality in the way he takes things on the chin and pushes forwards. The way he took different positions and philosophies and his positive outlook make him a real special player and person.”

Anthony Ralston was the man who replaced Johnston against Dortmund, so perhaps the Scot may get the nod against Ross County on Sunday.

The future of Kobbie Mainoo in Ruben Amorim's system appears to be in one of the attacking midfield positions as per the Manchester United boss.

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• Mainoo could shift to No. 10 position
• Struggling with defensive work
• Could compete with Fernandes and Diallo

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After making his debut in the first team during the second half of the previous season, Mainoo was one of the few bright spots during the last few months of Erik ten Hag's tenure as manager. The Portuguese coach has now provided an explanation for why the midfield player has had difficulty getting playing time under his guidance after the Red Devils' 2-0 win over Steaua Bucuresti in the Europa League.

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  WHAT AMORIM SAID

  Speaking to the media, Amorim said: "The Kobbie position today, we need time to understand the players, he was struggling a lot defending as a midfielder.

  "Now more as a ten you can feel that he was so free, playing the ball near the box is really good, the small connections. We need time to work with the players and understand the best positions for them."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Amorim is still trying to figure out the best positions for Manchester United stars as players like Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo continue to grow. The Red Devils seemed to grow into the clash against Steaua Bucuresti after the Portuguese coach brought on the duo. He opened up on the same and added: “We played quite well but a bit more slowly, also the opposition were really close in the first half and they covered all the spaces. They pressed the three defenders with just one player but we’ve managed to create some chances.

  "We didn’t score but then, in the second half, you can see the opponents getting tired and slower when covering the space. We had more space with Kobbie between the lines and one-on-one with Amad and the pace of Alejandro Garnacho.

  "I think it helped an awful lot. We managed to score two and we should score more. We had positions, sometimes four vs two, and we have to do more with this kind of play. It’s really massive for us. We are in the next stage, we are going to prepare for the next stage, but the most important thing now is to recover. Sunday, we have a game with our fans and we have to be ready for that.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MAINOO?

  Amorim's comments may now suggest that Mainoo will be shifted into the role of one of the number 10 positions alongside Bruno Fernandes, who is likely to occupy the second number 10 spot in the 3-4-2-1 system that Manchester United deploy under the Portuguese. However, it is likely that Mainoo may not be his first choice for the spot with Diallo also preferring the role.

Mikel Arteta's side are chasing down leaders Liverpool while the champions are vying merely for a top-four spot heading into Sunday's showdown

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For the first time in three years, Arsenal will face Manchester City with only one team contending for the Premier League title. Not many would have believed back after their January 2022 encounter that it would be Pep Guardiola's men toiling away so soon.

The Cityzens have embraced a period of rebuild, featuring around £150 million worth of January signings and their manager tacking a couple more years onto his own contract to lead them through this relative wilderness. But following their last meeting with the Gunners in September, City looked to have found a second wind after stumbling into the 2024-25 season.

A 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium, during which Arsenal defended for their lives for the second half following Leandro Trossard's controversial red card, was the latest chapter in this new-age rivalry. Yet arguably the most iconic moment from that game came after the final whistle was sounded by referee Michael Oliver.

Across the pitch walked Mikel Arteta to console his crestfallen players, who were within seconds of securing a first win on City's turf since 2015. He bristled beyond Erling Haaland with a quick shake of the hand, but the Norwegian wasn't up for mere niceties and sportsmanship.

"Stay humble, eh?" television cameras picked up Haaland saying. Eyes steely and power challenged, Arteta spun back in his direction. It felt like a seminal moment and canon event in the Spaniard's story, and this weekend he has the chance for revenge.

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  Rivalry origins

  From May 2016 to October 2023, Arsenal went a staggering 15 Premier League games without a win against City, losing 13 of those fixtures. Guardiola had the Gunners' number, and one way or another knew how to get the better of them.

  Arteta gave up being Guardiola's assistant to take the top job at the Emirates Stadium in December 2019, and though league success against his mentor eluded him, he did strike a hammer blow in his first season, knocking his former side out of the FA Cup at the semi-final stage. Victory in the final against Chelsea ensured Arteta had enough credit in the bank to survive a rocky 2020-21 campaign and beginning to the following 2021-22 season, which included a 5-0 drubbing at the Etihad.

  That defeat was the turning point in Arteta's reign. From there, he began weeding out the old guard and building around his young core of players, empowering the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli. When City made the trip down to the Emirates a few months later, Arsenal swarmed and overwhelmed the champions with youth and endeavour. Alas, that still wasn't enough, as the visitors secured a late 2-1 victory following a string of questionable refereeing decisions.

  Arsenal missed out on a Champions League spot by two points that season, but the following term they were equals with City, leading the standings for a record 250 days before collapsing down the stretch. Crucially, they lost twice to Guardiola's side and finished five points adrift of them.

  The nail in the coffin came in the final week of April 2023, a 4-1 dismantling letting the world know who the best team in England truly were. This was another flashpoint in Arteta's timeline, completely changing his approach to future meetings with City. No longer would Arsenal try and out-football them, rather tighten the game up and narrow all margins.

  This has largely worked. The Gunners prevailed 1-0 at the Emirates in October 2023 to end their barren streak against City, before holding them to a 0-0 draw later in the season. Yet once more, this wasn't enough to take home the title, even if this time the race went to the wire and was only decided by a single point.

  The message from the outside world was clear when Arsenal made the journey north to Manchester towards the start of 2024-25 – if you want to pip City to top spot, you'll have to beat them in their back yard. Whereas the stalemate in March 2024 was incredibly dull and without event, the Gunners showed far more ambition this time around. Haaland's opener was quickly cancelled out by a worldie from Riccardo Calafiori, and a header from set-piece extraordinaire Gabriel Magalhaes saw them lead at the Etihad for the first time in nearly a decade.

  Trossard's dismissal shortly before half-time changed the game entirely, and so Arsenal resorted to the shut-up-shop approach. It was a John Stones strike away from working, too. The devastation in the travelling camp branched between melancholy and fury, with Haaland's 'humble' line only serving to boil frustration. It may yet turn out to be one more bookmark in Arteta's tale.

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  Differing seasons since

  You can construe that both Arsenal and City have had unsuccessful campaigns to this point considering neither are top of the table, Liverpool instead leading the way with a six-point cushion plus a game in hand to boot. You would definitely most rather be in the Gunners' shoes than the Cityzens, mind.

  Arsenal have taken 36 points in the 18 Premier League games since, compared to City's comparatively measly tally of 28. Along the way, Guardiola's charges embarked on a run of one win in nine matches from the start of November to the end of December, effectively killing their hope of securing a record fifth-successive title.

  City go into matchday 24 level on points with surprise package Nottingham Forest, but with games against Newcastle, Liverpool, Tottenham and Nuno Espirito Santo's side to come after this weekend's outing in N5, they will be nervously looking over their shoulders rather than upward at their previous peers. After all, Arsenal have enough wriggle room to lose this game and still be confident of finishing ahead of their foes from the Etihad.

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  Haaland's struggles

  Haaland seemingly inflicted a curse upon himself since taunting Arteta, as the football gods have not taken kindly to his victory lap in September. After breaking the deadlock that day, he went on to score only three times in his next 13 Premier League fixtures. Though his form has picked up since and he is second behind only Mohamed Salah in the Golden Boot race, the expectation is he will be leapfrogged again by an Alexander Isak or even a Chris Wood.

  But like his manager, Haaland has committed his future to City regardless. Pretty much all of his future, in fact, inking a record 10-year contract which will take him well into his thirties. Goodness knows if the planet will even be hospitable at that point, but he'll still be rolled out in a sky-blue shirt anyway.

  Nevertheless, it is Haaland, rather than Arteta, who has been humbled. His heel turn hasn't quite gone according to plan and he can expect a hostile reception on Sunday. If Arsenal win, you wouldn't put it past the PA blaring Kendrick Lamar's 'Humble' at full-time.

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  Frantic rebuild

  A quiet summer window, in which only former captain Ilkay Gundogan and Savinho from sister club Troyes were added to the ranks, undoubtedly played a part in City's woeful first half of the season. Rodri was holding back the tide of regression, and his ACL injury allowed the floodgates to open. It was open season on Guardiola's men, who were too easy to play through even before the Ballon d'Or winner went down.

  That was the kick up the backside the recruitment team required to bring fresh life to a stale squad. The cash has been splashed this month, with forward Omar Marmoush plus defenders Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis arriving through the Etihad doors, while they may still land full-back Andrea Cambiaso before the deadline. These are hardly household names, but they're of the age profile and requisite dynamism to help begin a new era.

  Guardiola hasn't been afforded time to waste to integrate the newbies. Both Khusanov and Marmoush started last week's 3-1 win at home to Chelsea, and their inexperience, particularly of the former who gifted the Blues the opening goal, came to the fore. How this new cohort will fare under the Emirates cosh could also prove disastrous.