In recent years, Arsenal and Manchester City have developed a heated rivalry that has blossomed into one of the most anticipated fixtures in English football.
City have been the dominant team of the modern era under Pep Guardiola, winning six Premier League titles across a seven-season stretch between 2017/18 and 2023/24. In the latter two of those triumphs, Arsenal finished runners-up, as one of England's historically most successful clubs sought to end a two-decade wait for a 14th top-division crown.
Mikel Arteta's impressive work in charge of Arsenal after serving under Guardiola as an assistant has added spice to the storyline every time they square off, as the student looks to overtake the master.
The Sporting News brings you an overview of their history across English and European football, as the two sides prepare to square off in the 2025/26 Carabao Cup final, just the second time ever they will meet with a major trophy on the line.
MORE: When was the last time Arsenal won a trophy?
Arsenal vs. Man City head-to-head
Across 214 meetings. Arsenal have won 100 games against Manchester City, while City have triumphed 65 times, along with 49 draws.
As is usually the case, most of those meetings have come in Premier League/Division One play, where the same disparity sits.
In FA Cup action, Arsenal have also gotten the better of City in more games, winning four of their all-time matchups, suffering defeat twice. It's nearly dead even in the League Cup, where Arsenal have won five and lost four, with one match drawn.
Competition Matches Arsenal wins Draws Man City wins
League 195 89 47 59
FA Cup 6 4 0 2
EFL Cup 10 5 1 4
Community Shield 3 2 1 0
European play 0 0 0 0
TOTAL 214 100 49 65
Arsenal vs. Man City records
Largest Arsenal victory: Arsenal 5-0 Man City (Oct. 27, 2000)
Largest Man City victory: Man City 5-0 Arsenal (Aug. 28, 2021)
Most goals: 10 (Arsenal 7-3 Man City — Oct. 6, 1956)
Most goals for Arsenal vs. Man City: 11 (Doug Lishman)
Most goals for Man City vs. Arsenal: 11 (Sergio Aguero)
Arsenal vs. Man City results in Premier League
All-time in league play against Arsenal, Man City have 59 wins compared to 89 for Arsenal, while they've drawn 47 times.
In the Premier League era, that is slightly more even, with City winning 19 times to 25 for Arsenal across 57 total matches, with 13 draws.
Below are some of the most memorable recent meetings in Premier League action between the two sides.
Man City 4-2 Arsenal, September 2009
City had been active in the transfer market in summer 2009 and bought Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure from the Gunners. The Togo striker made headlines when the two sides met early in the campaign.
With City leading 2-1 after a curler from Craig Bellamy, Adebayor doubled their lead with a brilliant header 10 minutes from time. The striker then caused controversy with his celebration as he ran the length of the pitch before knee-sliding in front of the travelling Arsenal fans.
Some fans threw whatever they could at him before Toure and goalkeeper Shay Given dragged their teammate away from the fracas. City went on to take all three points as Shaun Wright-Phillips crowned a 4-2 win with a delicate finish.
Man City 6-3 Arsenal, December 2013
The Gunners' frail backline and City's attacking power was shown in a nine-goal thriller at the Etihad Stadium, in a 2013/14 where Manuel Pellegrini's freewheeling Blues finished as league champions.
Arsenal did manage to score three in the game, but the hosts kept picking apart and breaching their defence. The likes of David Silva, Yaya Toure, and Sergio Aguero all got on the scoresheet to quell fleeting threats of a Gunners comeback.
Theo Walcott scored twice in the match, while Per Mertesacker also bagged a consolation goal in injury time. It was a game that highlighted the direction each team was going in with their respective hierarchy.
Man City 4-1 Arsenal, April 2023
What had been billed as a battle of title contenders ended up being worryingly one-sided from an Arsenal perspective.
Kevin De Bruyne scored two goals either side of a headed finish from John Stones, putting City in complete control before the hour. Rob Holding got a goal back late on before Erling Haaland struck in injury time to put the gloss on a stunning victory.
Arsenal were still two points above City following the result, but Guardiola's men had two games in hand on their rivals. They went on to win the title with three games to spare as Arsenal's form collapsed.
Man City 2-2 Arsenal, September 2024
Despite taking four points off City in the games between the teams in 2023/24, Arsenal were unable to stop another march to the title from Guardiola's side. They fell behind early in this encounter as Haaland dispatched Savinho's through-ball and Ilkay Gundogan almost doubled the damage when he clipped a free-kick against the post.
But the game turned on its head around the midway point of the first half. City lost talismanic midfielder Rodri to injury shortly before Riccardo Calafiori planted a sublime 25-yard strike beyond Ederson. Gabriel headed Arsenal in front from a 45th-minute corner, but events took another twist as Trossard was given his second yellow card for kicking the ball away.
Arsenal produced an obdurate performance after the interval and David Raya excelled between the posts. Eventually, they fell just short as Jack Grealish's cleverly instigated short corner led to Stones pilfering a point.
Arsenal vs. Man City results in Cup finals
Prior to the upcoming 2025/26 League Cup final, Arsenal and Manchester City have only ever met in a major final once across their history.
This lone meeting came in the 2018 League Cup, when Manchester City topped Arsenal 3-0 thanks to goals from club icons Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany, and David Silva.
Despite sharing a total of 21 FA Cup titles between them (14 for Arsenal, 7 for City), the two clubs have never met in the FA Cup final.
Arsenal vs. Man City in Europe
Arsenal and Manchester City have never faced off in European play across any of the UEFA competitions.
It is not rare for teams from the same country to never square off in European competition, as UEFA rules restrict clubs from the same federation meeting prior to the knockout stage. For many years, these restrictions were even tighter, and have only loosened to encompass the entire knockout bracket in recent format reshuffling.
For example, the most famous rivalry in all of European football, Barcelona vs. Real Madrid known as "El Clasico," has happened eight times ever in Champions League competition.
Given how new Manchester City are to the top echelon of global football, and how Arsenal have never won a European title, the two clubs never meeting in UEFA competition isn't too shocking.
Have Arsenal or Man City won more trophies?
When it comes to major trophies, Arsenal and Manchester City are neck-and-neck. While Arsenal have been the longer-standing major English club throughout the history of the sport, City's recent surge into the global elite has seen them catch up almost entirely in the trophy department.
Arsenal still have more Premier League titles than City, as well as FA Cup crowns, but Man City's dominance in the League Cup has seen them reach 25 major domestic trophies to Arsenal's 29.
On the European stage, Man City have had more success given their Champions League triumph in 2023, something Arsenal have never accomplished. Both teams have one success apeice - City in 1969/70 and Arsenal in 1993/94 - in the now defunct European Cup Winners' Cup.
Domestic trophies
Competition Man City titles (last) Arsenal titles (last)
First Division / Premier League 10 (2023/24) 13 (2003/04)
FA Cup 7 (2022/23) 14 (2019/20)
League Cup 8 (2020/21) 2 (1992/93)
TOTAL DOMESTIC MAJOR 25 29
FA Community Shield 7 (2024) 17 (2023)
Second Division / First Division 7 (2001/02) 0
TOTAL DOMESTIC OTHER 14 17
European and Global trophies
Competition Man City titles (last) Arsenal titles (last)
UEFA Champions League 1 (2022/23) 0
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1 (1969/70) 1 (1993/94)
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 0 1 (1969/70)
UEFA Super Cup 1 (2023) 0
FIFA Club World Cup 1 (2023) 0
TOTAL GLOBAL 4 2