Riyad Mahrez’s staggering Cup record, The Gunners’ away threat – Stat Preview: Manchester City vs Arsenal (Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round)

Manchester City will be looking for yet another decisive win at the Etihad Stadium against Premier League rivals Arsenal, this time in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Pep Guardiola’s side will be looking to keep their hopes alive of securing three trophies this season, as they continue to chase Mikel Arteta’s side in the Premier League – with the Gunners sitting comfortably at the top courtesy of a five-point advantage.

City have bounced back from consecutive defeats against Southampton in the Carabao Cup and Manchester United in the Premier League, having secured an impressive 4-2 comeback against Tottenham and a decisive 3-0 win over Wolves at the weekend.

League leaders Arsenal are yet to face Manchester City in the 2022/23 campaign, and have been in fantastic form all season. They recently clinched a 90-minute winner courtesy of Eddie Nketiah against Manchester United last week to maintain their winning streak.

Ahead of what is expected to be a fierce clash at the Etihad Stadium, here are the all-important statistics and potential landmarks to look for on Friday night!

Manchester City

• Manchester City have won the FA cup on five occasions, last winning it in 2019 after beating Watford 6-0 in a Wembley final.
• Riyad Mahrez has been involved in seven goals in his last five appearances in the FA Cup for Manchester City, scoring six and assisting one.
• Manchester City have won their last nine home matches in the FA Cup, scoring an emphatic 40 goals with at least three scored in every win.
• Not since a 0-0 draw against Sporting Lisbon back in March 2022 have Manchester City failed to score in a competitive home match.
• Erling Haaland’s hat-trick against Wolves at the weekend was his fourth for Manchester City in just 19 games, becoming the fastest player to ever score four hat-tricks in the Premier League.

Arsenal

• Arsenal last won the FA Cup back in 2020, beating Chelsea 2-1 in Mikel Arteta’s first season in charge of the Gunners.
• Arsenal lost their last FA Cup match against Southampton in the fourth round of the 2020/21 campaign, having not lost consecutive such meetings in the competition since January 2010 against Stoke and March 2011 against Manchester United.
• Arsenal are unbeaten in their last seven competitive matches, last losing to Brighton 3-1 in the Carabao Cup.
• Arsenal currently sit at the top of the Premier League table, having won 16, drawn two, and lost just one match, with a win rate of 84%.
• With 50 points currently in the Premier League this season, Arsenal have picked up 19 more points compared to their 2021/22 season at the same stage.
• Arsenal are currently on a five-game winning run in away matches, scoring 12 and keeping three clean sheets in the process.

Previous Meetings

• Arsenal have won their last four FA Cup matches against Manchester City, reaching the final each time they knocked them out, and going on to win the cup three times (1971, 2017, 2020).
• Manchester City have won 13 of their 16 clashes with the Gunners under Pep Guardiola, drawing one and losing two. Guardiola has only beaten Burnley more times in all competitions, with both defeats to Arsenal coming in the FA Cup.
• Manchester City have scored an average of 2.5 goals in six of their last seven home matches against Arsenal in all competitions.
• The last time Manchester City played Arsenal was in January 2022, with Pep Guardiola’s clinching a 93rd-minute winner courtesy of Rodrigo to secure a 2-1 victory.

Potential Landmarks

• Riyad Mahrez is just two goals away from 75 in a Manchester City shirt.