Guy Mowbray
Match of the Day commentator

As Arsenal start at home for the seventh year running, the Emirates might be the best place to be on Premier League opening weekend for a third season in a row.

Last year the Gunners beat Leicester City 4-3, while in 2016 they lost by the same score to Liverpool… and now it's another opener that promises goals.

Arsenal should get plenty as the season goes on - in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette they have two of the top seven favourites to be the league's top scorer -but keeping goals out is Unai Emery's priority, external.

That's an almost impossible task against City, who set out to defend their title the same as last season - plus Riyad Mahrez. Frightening.

Here come the teams.

The word before kick-off, as ever, goes to our MOTD man...

It's a big season in the Premier League for this chap...

The former Borussia Dortmund forward has also contributed four assists in that time.

Daniel Cheng: Can only presume Lacazette was left out today to put players in to stop City's attacking wide players

Luke: Heard a lot of good things from Arsenal fans about Guendouzi. Be good to see if all the noise was justified... or just the usual pre-season noise

Mat V P: In case anyone didn't follow pre-season and wonders about Guendouzi. He looks like Fellaini, if you lopped 3 inches off, and plays like Fellaini possibly could...

Mark Lawrenson
Ex-Liverpool defender and BBC football expert

I don’t think anyone will be within ten points of Manchester City this season. They were devastating. Liverpool do have a much stronger squad and they’ve bought the best group of players. I just think 25 points is an awful lot to make up.

Manchester City

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was asked by Sky Sports how he expects Unai Emery's Arsenal to play.

"We will have to wait to see. He can play in different ways. It's too early to know how he will play his team."

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City where by far the standout team last season, but no team has managed to defend the Premier League title since Manchester United won three on the trot between 2007 and 2009.

In fact, the last three winners of the competition have all finished outside the top-four the following campaign.

Considering the quality and stability that they have, I would be extremely surprised if City fell that far this term.

Most pundits have tipped them for success again. Have a read here.

Image source, Rex Features

Thoughts on Manchester City's training shirt?

Image source, Getty Images

Talking of Unai Emery...

The Spaniard has come up against fellow countryman and opposite number Pep Guardiola 10 times...without winning a single game.

A chance to try and turn that record around today.

Image source, Getty Images

The last time Arsenal played a competitive match without Arsene Wenger in charge was in September 1996, when Pat Rice was caretaker for a 2-0 Premier League win over Sunderland.

Can new man Unai Emery bring back the glory days?

All over at Anfield and Liverpool have trounced West Ham to signal their intent for the season.

They should run Manchester City close this term.

Follow the reaction here

John Murray
BBC Radio 5 live commentator at the Emirates

The message all the way through Unai's Emery’s programme notes is about everyone sticking together. Tactics and little details other threads shining through. He says there are two main objectives: to be among the best in Europe and to make the fans proud.

I still collect matchday programmes whenever I go to a game - got hundreds up in the loft - so this from Arsenal is great.

BBC Radio 5 live

New season but we have the same extensive coverage of the Premier League.

Tune in to BBC Radio 5 live for build-up of Arsenal v Manchester City.

Commentator John Murray will be alongside former Blackburn and Chelsea striker Chris Sutton.

Papastathopoulos, Maitland-Niles, Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang all start for Arsenal, which means there will be plenty of copy and pasting going on by me.

Image source, .

After all the pre-match hype, Danny Welbeck is not even in the Arsenal squad, let alone at left-back.

Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Matteo Guendouzi make their debuts in Unai Emery's competitive debut in charge of the Gunners.

Fellow summer signings Bernd Leno, Lucas Torreira and Stephan Lichtsteiner are all on the bench.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang starts up front, with Alexandre Lacazette among the subs.

Image source, .

Manchester City make three changes from the Community Shield, with Ederson, Raheem Sterling and Ilkay Gundogan coming in. Riyad Mahrez makes his Premier League debut for the champions.

Benjamin Mendy makes his first Premier League start since 23 September 2017. A strong bench contains Kevin de Bruyne, Vincent Kompany, Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus.

Straight to team news.

Unai Emery said striker Danny Welbeck could play at left-back today, so does he??

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City showed us a new level of football last season, cantering to the Premier League title with a record 100 points.

Pep Guardiola's side look even stronger this this, with former PFA Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez joining their ranks.

But Arsenal come into the season entering a new era or their own, so can they lay down a marker and stop City today?