Manchester City make the trip to Arsenal on Wednesday with the opportunity to move top of the Premier League table at the expense of their opponents for the first time in over three months.
Not since November 6, when Arsenal beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge with another statement victory, has a side other than the Gunners led the way at the summit.
But after only two wins in their past five matches for Arsenal, and three wins in four for City, a gap that stood at eight points less than a month ago has been cut to just three ahead of their showdown at Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal still have a game in hand, while the sides also still have to face off again at the Etihad Stadium in April, but the signs are pretty ominous as City chase down a fifth league title in six seasons.
A positive result for Arsenal in midweek in front of their supporters would change that perspective, but meetings between these sides over the past five seasons have only gone one way.
Ahead of their top-of-the-table tussle in north London, Stats Perform looks at Arsenal's terrible record in this fixture in more detail and whether another defeat would pave the way for yet another City title.
TEN IN A ROW FOR CITY
Not since Arsenal's most recent title tilt, back in 2015-16 when Leicester City pulled off the shock of all shocks, have they defeated Manchester City in the Premier League.
The fact Theo Walcott was on target for Arsenal in that December 2015 win, along with the evergreen Olivier Giroud, with Mesut Ozil the man pulling the strings in midfield, goes a long way to highlighting just how long ago that rare triumph was.
Since then, Arsenal have failed to beat City in 13 attempts in the top flight, losing the past 10 of those. Needless to say, that stretch of defeats is their worst run against any opponent in the competition's history.
Indeed, should they lose again on Wednesday, only four teams in Premier League history will have lost more times on the bounce against a single opponent.
That is not to say Arsenal haven't had any joy in this fixture in recent years, having defeated City en route to winning the FA Cup in the 2016-17 and 2019-20 campaigns.
Normal service was resumed, though, when the Citizens saw off a much-changed Arsenal 1-0 in last month's fourth-round tie.
KEEP YOUR COOL
City's remarkable run in this fixture includes six straight wins at Emirates Stadium in all competitions – as many victories as in their previous 61 visits to Arsenal and one short of setting an outright record for most wins in a row away to the Gunners by any club.
But exactly why is it that Arsenal have fared so badly against City, despite having Arsene Wenger, Unai Emery, Freddie Ljungberg and now Arteta in the dugout across their 10-game losing run?
The Gunners were on the end of a 5-0 thrashing in their last league visit to the Etihad Stadium in August 2021, though they put up far more of a fight in losing 'only' 2-1 when the sides met in London on New Year's Day last year.
That game is best remembered for Rodri scoring a winner in the third minute of stoppage time for City, a dramatic end to an incident-packed encounter after Arsenal had Gabriel Magalhaes dismissed for an avoidable red card.
Even then it was clear Arteta's patient work was paying off at Arsenal; though despite performing well, a fifth successive loss against his former club had a sense of inevitability about it for the Spaniard.
Gabriel's sending-off changed the complexion of that contest, while Granit Xhaka's dismissal opened the floodgates for City in their five-goal hammering in last season's other encounter.
TIME FOR A CHANGE?
Keeping 11 players on the field will be a good start for Arsenal if they are to finally take a point or more off City, but will Arteta be tempted to – as we have seen countless times from his mentor Guardiola – change things up?
That might make sense after going two games without a Premier League win for the first time this season, especially considering Arteta has named an unchanged team for six straight games.
Never before have Arsenal stuck with the same line-up for seven games in the competition, and with January recruits Leandro Trossard and Jorginho among those pushing for starts, maybe that record will stay intact for a bit longer.
Perhaps this goes beyond personnel and formation, though. For if Arsenal are to end their City jinx, they need to overcome a mental barrier that's seen Guardiola have his own way for the past five years in league meetings.
Given the fine margins, it's difficult to bill the two meetings between the sides over the next 10 weeks as anything other than title deciders.
Unbeaten in 13 home league matches – their best run since the 2018-19 season – and up against a City side on a two-game losing streak on their travels, it really does feel like now or never for Arsenal.
"The conditions next season won't be as favourable for Arsenal," legendary former Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said in the days leading up to the biggest Premier League game of the season. "So let's not waste this opportunity."
Overcome their City hoodoo on Wednesday and Arsenal truly will be favourites to land a first title since 2003-04 under Wenger; suffer another defeat and City's ascent towards another title under Guardiola will be in full swing.
Nashville SC v Atlanta United: Long-time coach Smith departs in shock move
Gary Smith has left Nashville SC, with the team confirming they have parted company with their long-serving head coach.
Nashville beat Toronto FC on Wednesday, moving up to 10th in the Eastern Conference.
Yet on Thursday, the team confirmed they had decided to part ways with Smith, who had been in charge for seven seasons.
Smith won 52 MLS games during his spell in charge, while also leading Nashville to the Leagues Cup final in 2023.
Nashville face Atlanta United on Saturday, with ex-player and now player development coach Rumba Munthali stepping in as interim head coach.
No reason was provided for Smith's departure. He has been joined in leaving the club by assistant coach Steve Guppy.
A Nashville statement read: "Nashville SC extends its gratitude to Smith and Guppy for their dedication and contributions to our team and wishes them and their families all the best in their future endeavours.
"Under Smith's leadership, Nashville SC emerged as a very organised and hard-to-beat team in both leagues.
"In the USL Championship, Smith guided the team to a 32-win record over two seasons, including two playoff appearances and a second-place finish in the Eastern Conference in 2019.
"His transition to MLS with the club was seamless, leading Nashville to four consecutive MLS Cup playoff appearances, a feat only achieved by two other teams in the league's history."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Nashville SC - Hany Mukhtar
Mukhtar has scored five goals in nine career regular-season matches against Atlanta. Only Luciano Acosta (nine goals in 17 games) has scored more times against the Five Stripes.
Atlanta United - Thiago Almada
Almada has scored in all three of his career MLS matches against Nashville. No player has ever scored in four consecutive regular-season meetings versus Nashville, though Daryl Dike did score in four straight for Orlando City, including playoff games.
MATCH PREDICTION: NASHVILLE WIN
Despite Smith's departure, Opta's model still predicts a positive outcome for Nashville.
Atlanta are winless in 11 straight MLS away matches (D5 L6 incl. playoffs) dating back to last September. It is the longest active road winless run in MLS.
Nashville have won two straight home matches, their first regular-season home winning streak since a run of six straight last April-July. They managed just two wins in 12 home league games between the two streaks (D6 L4).
Atlanta's 4-0 home win over Nashville last August ended a seven-match winless run for them in the series (D3 L4). Atlanta won their first visit to Nashville, 2-1, in the latter's inaugural match in March 2020, but the Five Stripes are winless in five visits in all competitions since (D2 L3).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Nashville SC - 46.2%
Atlanta United - 25.5%
Draw - 28.3%
FC Cincinnati v St. Louis City: Noonan looking for improved performance despite Atlanta win
Despite watching his side beat Atlanta United in midweek, FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan still wants more from his side when they host St. Louis City this weekend.
Kevin Kelsy's seventh-minute strike was enough to earn Cincinnati a 1-0 win over Atlanta to make it five straight MLS victories.
Cincinnati currently sit second in the Eastern Conference, but Noonan is still demanding more from his side than Wednesday's performance.
"I wouldn't say 'negatives' but [there are] things we could have done better, and here we are with the guys keeping a clean sheet and winning the game," Noonan told reporters.
"They deserve credit and to be proud of the fact that they're still walking off the field with a win tonight."
St. Louis saw a five-game unbeaten streak end as they lost 2-0 to Los Angeles FC in midweek.
The defeat leaves St. Louis ninth in the Western Conference, though they are just three points off sixth-placed Austin FC.
Bradley Carnell is looking to get players back fit and raring to go for the visit to Cincinnati at the weekend, saying: "It's about how we manage over the next couple of days to get a solid, fit line-up for Cincinnati.
"We don't have much time to sit and dwell, and we have to be brave and positive to head to Cincinnati."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
FC Cincinnati – Kevin Kelsy
In his first MLS start, Kelsy scored Cincinnati's lone goal on Wednesday. The 19-year-old has scored in consecutive games, making him the first teenager to score multiple MLS goals for Cincinnati, and if he gets the nod from the off again here, he will once more hope to mark it with a goal.
St. Louis City – Joao Klauss
Having netted four in his previous four games, Klauss drew a blank against LAFC as St. Louis slumped to defeat. He is clearly a key man in St. Louis' attack, and he will hope to get back among the goals this weekend, and with a win too.
MATCH PREDICTION – CINCINNATI WIN
St. Louis beat Cincinnati 5-1 in the lone previous meeting between the sides last April. The four-goal margin is Cincinnati’s largest defeat since the start of last season and equals St. Louis' largest ever margin of victory.
But St. Louis are winless in eight straight away matches in all competitions (four draws, four defeats). St. Louis have won three of their last 23 on the road after winning the first three away matches in club history.
Cincinnati have won five straight regular season matches with all five wins coming by one-goal margins, the first team to do so since the Red Bulls in 2012, and though it may be a tight game again this weekend, the hosts will fancy their chances of coming out on the right side of the result and collecting another three points.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Cincinnati: 44.3%
St. Louis: 28.2%
Draw: 27.5%
Klopp jokes he 'doesn't like Maddison' after failing to block Kompany winner
Jurgen Klopp has joked he doesn't like James Maddison after the midfielder's failure to block Vincent Kompany's long-range winner in the 2018-19 season.
With the title race that campaign nearing its conclusion, Manchester City and Liverpool were going toe-to-toe at the Premier League summit.
City faced Leicester City in their penultimate game, and with the contest 0-0 with 20 minutes left, the ball sat up for Kompany to shoot from range with Maddison in the vicinity.
Maddison failed to block the effort, and Kompany's drive flew into the top corner before City ultimately went on to claim the title.
Klopp has joked that he now feels differently about Maddison following that incident, telling The Redmen TV: "The moment when Vinny Kompany fires the ball, I'm really happy I didn't get a stroke because that's how it must feel.
"I was watching thinking, 'Maddison, block him, close him down!'
"And since then, I don't like Maddison! I was also angry with Brendan [Rodgers, then Leicester manager] that day, because he should have taken him off, he was tired.
"It's a personal thing. Of course, I have no problem."
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