Manchester City

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta sees Sunday's trip to Manchester City (kick-off 16:30 BST) as an opportunity for the Gunners to put down a marker to the rest of the league and certify their title credentials.

Speaking on Friday before the match against his former employers, Arteta outlined his expectations.

"We go to the home of the champions, the team that I think in Premier League history has been the most consistent ever, not only in terms of results but in terms of dominance and consistent top performances," he said.

"This is the challenge. We have to go there and prove that again we’ve made another step and we can compete."

Midfielder Kevin de Bruyne is a doubt for Sunday's fixture but, given the depth City possess, Arteta is not focusing on potential absentees.

"They have the option if he doesn't play of Gundogan, Bernardo, Phil Foden, Kovacic," he added.

"They're all world-class players.

"We have a few missing as well and we have to adapt, but certainly those kinds of teams don't rely on one individual which is extremely important for them."

Former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas believes you can never write Manchester City striker Erling Haaland off, because he "will make it happen".

Haaland did not manage a shot on target against Arsenal last season but Fabregas told the Planet Premier League podcast, this was irrelevant.

"When you are talking about players like Haaland, you can't say anything like that, because he will just put you to shame," Fabregas said. "You know he will make it happen. He's too special and too good.

"He plays in such a good team all around the pitch that there is always a gap or a way for him to make a difference at any point in any game."

The 24-year-old has scored nine goals to start the season - the most any player has ever scored in the opening four games - and Fabregas holds only admiration for the City frontman.

"I really like him," he said. "I wish I played with a striker of his calibre. We [Arsenal] need to always be on our toes to stop him."

Listen to the full episode here

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The issue around the footballing calendar and the demands being placed on players right now is a difficult one.

First, we need to take into consideration the really high demands on the body that go on all-year round with few breaks, especially for international footballers and those in teams competing on multiple fronts.

I know the men's and the women's games are different, but we got exposed to these issues when we went from amateur to professional. There was a lot of loading, a lot of games and the result of that was a higher risk of injury and we have seen a lot of anterior cruciate ligament injuries now in the women's game.

From the fans' side, their point is often that players get paid a lot of money but I think that is irrelevant. That is just the industry players are in and, if you take out the money, they are still human beings.

The governing bodies need to look at who they consult with about changes in the calendar such as World Cups being held in winter and summers where there is just a couple of weeks off before going straight back into it. The changes and fixtures that are put in are there to generate more money, which makes it difficult. As a business, it is about money.

We talk about mental health a lot and you wonder, where is the time to switch off and have that time away from playing? To have that family time which is a deep human need? At some point mentally, if not physically, it will take its toll.

None of us want to see players striking, but players need to be listened to. What do they need to do to make change happen?

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson

Manchester City are eager to start contract talks with 31-year-old goalkeeper Ederson, with the Brazilian's deal set to expire in summer 2026. (TBR Football), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

We asked for your thoughts after Manchester City drew with Inter Milan in their opening Champions League fixture on Wednesday night.

Here are some of your comments:

Merl: A very slow start to the game from City and Inter were always dangerous. City were much livelier, fluid and threatening in the last quarter of the game. They made a few clear-cut chances that should easily have been put away by Foden or Gundogan. I doubt Pep Guardiola will be too worried, with poorer opposition yet to play.

Benji: Too slow, almost walking, football. Rico Lewis gets too far up the pitch for me, leaving Rodri isolated. We should have scored though, as we had some good chances.

Neil: Flat. Lifeless. Unimaginative.

Geoff: City were not ready for a team of Inter's quality. This fixture was too early in the season for them, while Inter were much better prepared mentally and physically. City had the best and easier to put away chances, but Inter looked the most likely to score.

Nick: Once you blank out Erling Haaland, Manchester City are a good but not brilliant team. Without him, all of their games are up for grabs - Inter proved that. He was a marked man and he was given few chances. He is a great goalscorer when given the opportunity, but he wasn't given any space in this game.

Brian: This game was proof that both teams were content to share the points and end the match with their squads in tact. City lacked a cutting edge and their minds were almost certainly on the Arsenal game this weekend. Inter were keen to continue their unbeaten start to this season. A game of quality passing and robust defending.

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola laughed off my observation about whether his half-time changes in the past two games were an indication he had got his team selection wrong, saying it was a new tactic because of the increased number of substitutes and he might do it again against Arsenal on Sunday.

The reality is making changes so early was notable against Brentford on Saturday because it hardly ever happens. So for Guardiola to pull the same trick again so quickly suggests something was not quite right.

Against Brentford, it was a physical presence City lacked, which is why Rodri and Josko Gvardiol were brought on. On Wednesday against Inter, it was mobility, which is why Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden took over from Kevin de Bruyne and Savinho (Guardiola said De Bruyne was coming off anyway, despite his injury).

Guardiola will be spending a bit of time thinking about who starts against Arsenal. Contrary to his riposte, he won't be wanting to make changes at half-time again because, given the opposition, he might find it is too late.

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Manchester City supporter Emily Brobyn, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast about City's 0-0 draw with Inter Milan in the Champions League:

"I'm not just saying it to be positive, but I think it will prove to be quite a useful point.

"Inter were champions of Serie A by some margin last year, they came to the Etihad and set up so well. I thought it was a fascinating game to watch tactically. Inter were so well drilled and well organised defensively.

"At times we did look quite one-dimensional and slow in attack. I do wonder if there is an overreliance sometimes on Erling Haaland, but we did have some chances and we scuffed them, so I think all in all a point is a really good result."

Did you know....

• City failed to find the net for just the second time in 42 home Champions League matches under Pep Guardiola, with their other failure a goalless draw with Sporting in March 2022.

• Although they failed to win, City extended their unbeaten Champions League run to 24 matches (won 16, drawn eight), just one behind the record set by Manchester United between 2007 and 2009 (25 games).

Manchester City opened their Champions League campaign with a goalless draw against Inter Milan on Wednesday.

Eilidh Barbour, Chris Sutton, John Murray and James Horncastle review the match on the Champions League Debrief, which you can listen to or download now on BBC Sounds.

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Manchester City suffered the rare disappointment of a shut out against an impressive Inter Milan in the Champions League - before thoughts turned instantly to Sunday's colossal Premier League meeting with closest rivals Arsenal.

The Gunners were the last side to keep City out at Etihad Stadium in March when manager Mikel Arteta appeared to set up in a manner designed to frustrate Pep Guardiola's side in a goalless draw.

Inter followed suit with similar results and now City will hope to rediscover their lost cutting edge - albeit for only one game - against the north London side.

Will Arsenal and Arteta adopt a bolder strategy on Sunday or will it be same again?

The stage is set for Erling Haaland to go in search of his 100th goal for Manchester City after being thwarted and shackled by Inter's iron defensive discipline, the Italians also showing enough threat on the break to encourage Arsenal.

City had their chances, especially two late headed opportunities for substitute Ilkay Gundogan, and they will be confident they will show a more ruthless edge at the weekend.

Arsenal have shown steel and resilience to emerge with wins from two tough away assignments at Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur but this will be their sternest test yet.

The stakes are always huge in this fixture and they will be for both sides once more, with City intent on making up for this rare blank scoresheet to strike a crucial blow in the title race.

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, speaking to TNT Sports: "We played so good, I love my team, we are a fantastic team.

"Inter are a team who defend really, really well so they are masters of defending and transitionally very strong as well. You cannot expect to make many chances when a team defends so, so deep. I'm really pleased for the performance we have done.

"This is the beginning of the season, Phil [Foden] it's his first game for two months, [Ilkay] Gundogan arrived, the players with more time will be better."

What did he like about the performance: "Everything, absolutely everything."

On the change he made to prevent Inter's counter attack: "When you lose easy balls it is a counter attack, it's impossible to stop it. You have to be more precise. It happened, especially on the left side. You cannot control it."

On how Rodri played: "He played really good, always Rodri plays good."

On why he brought Phil Foden on: "Players in the smaller space have the ability to turn, make the small turn and attack the back five. He moves really well in small spaces. When the team defends so so deep these players are really good at moving in small spaces."

On how Kevin de Bruyne is: "I haven't spoke with the doctors with and I will speak maybe later."

On how helpful it is to get minutes into Foden and Gundogan before playing Arsenal: "Yes, but we'll have more players there so we'll see. It's important to have minutes but they'll get minutes anyway with the amount of games we get."

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Manchester City defender Ruben Dias, speaking to TNT Sports: "Very intense game against a very strong opponent.

"We knew what was coming, they are a strong team as well, they are used to winning. We knew we weren't going to have an easy job. In the end the team had a great performance and we were very close to scoring. We take it and we obviously we move forward. It was a good chance for us to play against such a strong side."

On Ilkay Gundogan chances: "Gundo had two, Phil [Foden] as well and some others that came up but especially these three. It happens and it's football but we're ready for what's next."

On trying to prevent Inter's counter attacks: "We know they can be dangerous in many different scenarios. They have people that know how to keep the ball very well. We know them very well since the final we played against them.

"We know the different ways they can hurt us but in the end we are who we are, we play the way that we play and we deal with it."

On keeping a clean sheet: "These are the ones we loves. These ones make it mean more in terms of keeping a clean sheet so obviously we are happy with the work we did at the back."

On reaching their peak: "The season just started. It's very early stages, we know what we are as a team. Today we played on a very good level. We ended up scoring, we could have but that is football. Obviously there is a lot of margin to progress from our side."

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Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live: "Manchester City didn't do enough to win it.

"Credit to Inter, they made themselves very hard to beat and had some chances themselves, Henrikh Mkhitaryan with a golden chance in the second half.

"A draw is just about right but City were just off the pace. Not a normal Pep-like performance but they have another seven games to retrieve the situation.

"We normally associate Pep Guardiola's teams as quick, slick and incisive but it wasn't there tonight. It was a bit slow and ponderous.

"This Inter team set up well and defended deep, they are well organised and street-wise and did a job on Man City. They a really handy outfit.

"Manchester City will get going in the Champions League, they are too good and have too much quality not to.

"There are easier games coming up for them, next it is Slovan Bratislava, which you think they would win comfortably.

"They will be the team or one of the teams to beat in the competition alongside Real Madrid."

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On a night when Erling Haaland could have netted his 100th goal in all competitions for Manchester City, the striker had just 14 touches, the fewest of any player to start the game on either side.

Meanwhile, Jack Grealish created four chances in the match. Since the start of the 2022-23 campaign, the winger has created more chances in the Champions League than any other player (55).

With the Champions League having got under way this week - you can watch highlights of every game on the BBC.

From 22:00 BST on the Wednesday of Champions League matchweeks, there will be game-by-game highlights available on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app - plus a highlights show on BBC One at 22:40.

Catch up now on BBC iPlayer

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

What did you make of your team's performance, Manchester City fans?

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Come back to this page on Thursday to find a selection of your replies

Follow reaction and read the match report

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There are six matches as the Champions League continues on Wednesday with its new league group stage:

• Bologna v Shakhtar Donetsk - 17:45

• Sparta Prague v Red Bull Salzburg - 17:45

• Celtic v Slovan Bratislava - 20:00

• Club Bruges v Borussia Dortmund - 20:00

• Manchester City v Inter Milan - 20:00 (listen on BBC Radio 5 Live)

• Paris St-Germain v Girona - 20:00

All kick-off times BST

Follow all the action live