Martin Odegaard chips the free-kick into the box but City deal with it pretty easily.

Arsenal have started positively, forcing City back. Ruben Dias goes through the back of Eddie Nketiah and the Gunners have a free-kick in the visitors' half.

Chris Sutton
Former Premier League striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

This is the fast start we all expected from both teams. It's been pretty ferocious.

Manchester City playing with a back three and Bernardo Silva just dropping into that left-back role out of possession.

The way Pep Guardiola likes to play, the decision making and reading of the game, it has to be absolutely top draw.

Rob Schofield
BBC Radio 5 Live

It's a big night for Jorginho.

Thomas Partey’s injury is a big blow to Mikel Arteta. My understanding is he trained all week and was set to take up his ever-present anchor role in midfield before breaking down.

Does the gameplan change? Does Jorginho’s role change? He’s yet to win over all the Arsenal fans. Feels like he has something to prove to them.

What we do know is that City look flexible and able to take up multiple formations and structures on the pitch. Looking forward to seeing what kind of position Bernardo Silva takes up - I’m not going to predict it though!

Cheers as Kevin de Bruyne fails to keep the ball in player on the far side. City could do with the Belgian putting in a big showing tonight.

Aaron Ramsdale is already looking to set a quick pace for his side, launching a quick through to Takehiro Tomiyasu.

It begins an attack that takes it time and ends with Granit Xhaka firing over after Eddie Nketiah sees an effort blocked.

Chris Sutton
Former Premier League striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

There is hope, Arsenal are building momentum. This is the big test, they've fallen away in the last couple of games but if they respond tonight and can win this game - that's a big if because City are an excellent team - that will give them so much confidence going into the latter part of the season that they can do the unthinkable.

It's Arsenal v Man City, Mikel v Pep, first v second.

Nothing will be decided tonight but this could go a long way to swinging momentum one way or another in this title race.

Strap in.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at Emirates Stadium

Arsenal have been outstanding this season and have passed pretty much every test put in front of them to lead the Premier League table.

They have, however, stumbled recently with the loss to Manchester City in the FA Cup, Everton in the Premier League and then the controversial draw at home to Brentford on Saturday.

The Gunners have shown steel and character this term so there should be no reason for serious concern - but they will know what a huge difference a win tonight will make to the title race.

Manchester City have won each of their last 22 Premier League games on a Wednesday, the longest winning run on a specific day of the week in the competition's history.

Here come the teams into a very lively Emirates Stadium.

There isn't a person inside here who doesn't recognise the enormity of this game.

Arsenal have someone in their ranks with experience of unlocking City's defence this season.

Leandro Trossard has already scored against Pep Guardiola's side this season, netting in Brighton's 3-1 defeat at the Etihad in October.

Two players have scored against the Citizens for different clubs in the same Premier League campaign, with Andy Carroll (Liverpool & Newcastle) and Darren Bent (Aston Villa & Sunderland) both doing so in 2010-11.

Trossard, of course, also opened his Arsenal goals account with the opener against Brentford at the weekend.

Chris Sutton
Former Premier League striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

What's fascinating about Pep Guardiola's formation is there will be lots of occasions this evening where Bukayo Saka will isolate Jack Grealish or Bernardo Silva.

Nathan Ake will have to come out and engage if it goes past Silva but I think Arsenal could be rubbing their hands because Saka is so good one on one they will hope they can just get the ball out to him in the wide areas and let him attack.

Image source, Getty Images

After a run of games for Manchester City, Jack Grealish is showing signs of returning to his best form according to former Premier League defender Neil Taylor.

Taylor told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily: "Grealish has spoken openly about the fact he can’t roam anymore. He can’t come in-field and link up with the front man and go all over the pitch to find pockets and find space.

"A player needs game time to get a flow of how you need to play and he’s been given that lately. It’s almost as if he’s one of the first names on the team sheet now.

"He’s got that confidence now and he’s back to dribbling at people. I think he’s realised now he is either sliding people in, he’s putting crosses in or he’s getting to the byline.

"It’s almost like he is trying to mirror what Mahrez has done for many years on the other side and he’s getting very good at it. That end product is what people have been asking for since he signed and we saw a lot of that [against Aston Villa]."

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Pep Guardiola says Wednesday's Premier League game against Arsenal is important in the title race, but that "many things can happen" between now and the end of the season.

After beating the Gunners in the FA Cup, City must still face the Premier League's top side twice.

On what Wednesday's game will mean for the title race, Guardiola said: "So far they are the best team in the Premier League. We felt it a couple of weeks ago. The commitment, they are sharp. It will be a big, big battle. In the departments, you have to be ready.

"I do not truly believe one week ago we are out of form [after the defeat by Tottenham] and now we're back in form. Every game is different, you can play good and win and everything is perfect but tomorrow you could lose. There are many games to play.

"Tomorrow is an important one, everyone knows it, and we'll try to do our best.

"It's important because we can take the points, the best team so far could not. But after Nottingham Forest, Champions League, six games away. I have a feeling many things can happen. Tomorrow can help us be there but there are many games, tough games. We cannot deny it's important to prove ourselves, handle the many aspects."

On the team spirit among his players, he added: "After Arsenal there was this togetherness, they are incredible human beings, I have no complaints.

"Everyone makes mistakes, me first. The mood is good, really, really good for many years. Many things happened, success, sometimes little things must be adjusted to understand things differently. We are delighted to be together not because we won against Villa or lost against Spurs."

Nigel Rothband, The Man City Show podcast, external

It’s a week since City were charged by the Football Association for allegedly breaking financial fair play rules. As a result City, have been in the headlines ever since and there was always going to be a great atmosphere at Etihad Stadium for the visit of Aston Villa at the weekend... and there was!

Pep made an interesting decision with his team selection, going for three at the back, which is a tactic he doesn’t often employ. During the game Villa played very narrow with no real wide players, which I guess is why he went with that formation. Villa also played a high line with their back four, sometimes five, leaving lots of room for City to exploit. We didn’t exploit that enough in my view.

Despite that, we brushed Villa aside with a convincing 3-1 victory. It was a much better team performance with greater intensity, purpose and spirit than we have seen in recent weeks. As a result we are just three points behind league leaders Arsenal, who we play on Wednesday.

I don’t believe Pep will employ the three at the back on Wednesday, I’m sure he will revert to a back four that could include Laporte and Dias for the second game running. I guess Nathan Ake will come into the back four and it could be a very similar side in front of them.

A victory on Wednesday would see City top the league and, having been written off by so many as potential champions only a few weeks ago, they could be making headlines for the right reason.

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Former Premier League midfielder Steve Brown says games like Wednesday's against Manchester City is where Arsenal players can write their names into the history books.

Speaking to BBC Radio London's Far Post podcast, he said: "The fact it’s at Arsenal, if they lose that one then it will put a cat among the pigeons.

"It’s there for them to walk through that door and this is how characters are made, this is where legends are made within a football club.

"It’s these moments here when we are sat at this point in the league where these Arsenal players can properly make a name for themselves and etch their names in the history of Arsenal Football Club for a very long time.

"The Invincibles did it and we still talk about them to this day and will continue to talk about them for another 30 years. This squad has a chance of doing it and it’s these moments you’ve got to stand up and find a way to win these games.

"There is going to be a enormous amount of pressure on them. The home game, they cannot lose. They can’t."

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This time in the season "separates the wheat from the chaff", says former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin as he looks forward to a top-of-the-table battle between Arsenal and Manchester City on Wednesday.

The Gunners are three points clear of City, with a game in hand, but would find themselves in second place should Pep Guardiola's side win at Emirates Stadium.

Nevin is relishing a pivotal game in this season's title race.

"Sir Alex Ferguson used to say that championships were won at this stage of the season," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast. "It separates the wheat from the chaff and we'll find out.

"Manchester City have the experience and know they can do it - Arsenal think they can do it and there is a massive difference. But if Arsenal win, they will begin to believe."

Everton goalkeeper Asmir Begovic argued whoever wins this game will land a major psychological blow on the other.

"It is a very crucial game," he said. "City could go there and make a statement but if Arsenal get the three points, it sends a clear message that they are for real."

Full analysis from 24'16 on BBC Sounds

Premier League leaders Arsenal take a three-point lead into Wednesday's game with second-placed Manchester City and have a game in hand over the reigning champions, but the Gunners will surrender top spot in the Premier League if they lose at Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says his team has responded well after the VAR controversy in Saturday's game with Brentford, which ended 1-1.

"There has been a great energy," Arteta told the media on Tuesday. "I sensed it when I arrived after the Brentford game, from the staff and everybody at the club. It was that mixture between anger [after Brentford's equaliser was allowed to stand] and the desire to play the next game. We need to use that."

Asked about the main threats City possess, Arteta replied: "Them as a team. What they've done in the past six years, they've absolutely merited. They've merited it on the pitch with the way they've played, competed and gone through difficulties. For us, the challenge is to get to that level. This is what we want to be, this is the level and we are heading towards it."

And the Spaniard was keen to play down any importance in potentially beating Pep Guardiola for the first time as a manager, having served as his assistant for several years at City.

"For me it's the team, the club and where we are," said Arteta. "Me personally, beating one manager, it's not about that. It's about beating the next opponent and in this case it's Manchester City."

Chris Sutton
Former Premier League striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

There's a few eyebrows raised about Ben White being dropped - I think that's a big call. The way it looks to me is Mikel Arteta saying he fancies Takehiro Tomiyasu to handle Jack Grealish better than White can.