Arsenal and City to resume league’s most bitter rivalry

Amid ownership tensions off the pitch and fading trophy ambitions on it the clubs clash at the Emirates tomorrow

- MIGUEL DELANEY

If the Arsenal and Manchester City squads are readying themselves for "war" tomorrow, the mood isn't that different off the pitch. There are few polite niceties there. This is probably the club relationship with the deepest animosity in the Premier League, and even worse than some notorious rivalries from the past.

September’s 2-2 draw had more fallout than any other match this season so far, and that’s despite this campaign’s many refereeing controversies. One official at a rival club even marvelled at how the fallout had gone into “day six”. That 2-2 had opprobrium about referees and much more, including a farrago over footage of Arsenal executive vice-chairman Tim Lewis leaving his seat without shaking hands with City counterparts. There was some irritation about that in north London, especially since they feel City’s senior figures don’t always welcome them.

The champions, meanwhile, see Arsenal as one of the clubs most actively in opposition to their ownership. Crucially, some of this has filtered down to the dressing rooms. Antipathy is so strong that, when details came out about City Football Group pursuing Arsenal target Sverre Halseth Nypan through its Spanish club, Girona, some around the Emirates suspected it was just to drive up their price. Girona’s interest was nevertheless genuine.

As petty as some of that sounds, recruitment forms a central theme ahead of this match, fittingly coming just before deadline day. That’s both in terms of where the teams are and what recruitment represents.