Guardiola will already have Gunners in mind

CITY and Arsenal meet for the first time in the Premier League this season in similar circumstances to the last, only with some key points reversed.

- By SIMON BAJKOWSKI

The first is who will be expected to win the game, with the Guners now clear ahead of the Blues given the drop in standards at the Etihad last year.

The second, informing the first, is that the game will be played at the Emirates - where Arsenal won 5-1 last season - rather than in Manchester, where the points were shared.

The third relates to the Champions League. Both have their first European night of the season to navigate before they lock horns again to renew their very rivalry.