Manchester City vs Arsenal is the debate of the 2026/27 Premier League season, and it has never been closer. City sit top of the table with a perfect six wins from six under new manager Enzo Maresca, while reigning champions Arsenal trail by three points and own a flawless Champions League record. Here is how the two clubs compare, criterion by criterion, as of mid October 2026.
Where things stand
Last season ended with Arsenal lifting their first Premier League title in 22 years. The Gunners finished on 85 points, seven clear of City, in what turned out to be Pep Guardiola’s final campaign at the Etihad.
City still collected silverware in that farewell season, winning both the FA Cup and the League Cup. Then the summer reshaped the rivalry. Guardiola stepped away after a decade, and City handed the job to his former assistant Enzo Maresca on a three year deal.
Arsenal kept Mikel Arteta and the core of a squad that also reached the Champions League final in Budapest.
Premier League form: Manchester City
City have been the most consistent team in England this fall. Six matches, six wins, including a 1-0 derby victory at Old Trafford and a statement 3-0 win at Anfield on October 11.
Arsenal have won five of six, and the one slip was a heavy one. A 3-0 defeat at Brighton in September remains the worst league result either club has suffered so far.
- Premier League points in 2026/27: City 18, Arsenal 15
Firepower: Manchester City
Erling Haaland is the biggest difference maker in this matchup. The Norwegian has six league goals in six games and ten across all competitions, and his brace against PSG made him City’s all time leading scorer in the Champions League.
City have scored 16 Premier League goals to Arsenal’s 10. Arsenal spread their scoring between Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard and Kai Havertz, with Saka leading the team on three league goals. That balance makes Arteta’s side hard to scout, and it also means no Gunner currently frightens defenders the way Haaland does.
- Erling Haaland goals in 2026/27 (all competitions): 10
Champions League: Arsenal
Europe tells a very different story. Arsenal opened the league phase with two wins and two clean sheets, beating Napoli 1-0 in Italy and Lille 3-0 at the Emirates.
City were outplayed at home by holders PSG on October 14. Paris led 3-0 at halftime and won 4-2, leaving City 17th in the 36 team table after two rounds.
Arsenal also carry the lessons of last May’s final in Budapest. They led PSG through a Havertz goal in the sixth minute, were pegged back by an Ousmane Dembélé penalty, and lost 4-3 in the shootout after a 1-1 draw.
Silverware and head to head: Arsenal, narrowly
The recent head to head ledger is split down the middle. City beat Arsenal 2-0 in the League Cup final in March 2026, and Arsenal answered with a 3-0 win over City in the Community Shield on August 16.
Counting trophies from 2025/26, City finished with two and Arsenal with one. Arsenal’s lone prize is the one both clubs want most, and a 38 game title remains the truest measure of a team in English soccer.
- Trophies won in 2025/26: Arsenal 1 (Premier League), City 2 (FA Cup, League Cup)
Stability: Arsenal
Arsenal walk into every big game with a manager in his seventh full season and a squad that knows exactly how it wants to play. City are still absorbing Maresca’s ideas, and the PSG loss came just weeks after a 5-3 home win over Sunderland that exposed the same defensive gaps.
The larger cloud sits off the field. In late September, an independent commission found City guilty of serious breaches of Premier League financial rules covering the 2009/10 to 2017/18 seasons. The sanction will be decided at a separate hearing, and a points deduction remains a possibility.
The verdict
Right now, Arsenal are the better team by the slimmest of margins, three criteria to two. City own the league table and the most lethal striker in the world, and those are real advantages. Arsenal win the European comparison, hold the Premier League crown and carry far less uncertainty into the winter.
That edge could disappear on November 29, when City visit the Emirates for the first league meeting of the season. US fans can watch it through NBC Sports and Peacock, and both clubs’ Champions League nights stream on Paramount+.
FAQ
Who is top of the Premier League right now, Manchester City or Arsenal? Manchester City lead the 2026/27 table with 18 points from six games heading into Matchweek 7. Arsenal are second with 15 points.
Who won the Premier League in 2025/26? Arsenal won the 2025/26 title with 85 points, seven ahead of Manchester City. It was the club’s first league championship since 2003/04.
Who replaced Pep Guardiola at Manchester City? Enzo Maresca, a former Guardiola assistant who previously coached Leicester City and Chelsea, signed a three year contract with City in June 2026.
Where can I watch Arsenal vs Manchester City in the US? The November 29 meeting at the Emirates kicks off at 11:30 a.m. ET, with Premier League coverage on NBC Sports networks and Peacock. Champions League matches for both clubs stream on Paramount+.
Arsenal
Manchester City