Man City v Arsenal

City of Manchester Stadium
Saturday, 26 August
Kick-off: 1715 BST
Coverage on the BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on MOTD

BIG-MATCH FACTS

MANCHESTER CITY are the only club without a Premiership goal, going into this Saturday teatime contest. They're trying to beat Arsenal for the first time in 19 attempts and the first time ever in the Premiership.

Stuart Pearce selects a City side for the 50th time in the Premiership.

Since David White scored the only goal against Arsenal at Maine Road on 28 December 1991 in pre-Premier League days, City have only managed one point on home soil against the Gunners (0-0 on 15 January 1994).

ARSENAL moved into the group stages of the Champions League with a 2-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night. They are therefore playing only their second Premiership match of the season and first on the road.

Arsene Wenger's team made a tentative start to their League campaign, being held to a 1-1 draw by Aston Villa at their plush new home. Should the Gunners return from Eastlands without any points it would represent their worst start to a Premier League campaign since the
very first season in 1992-93 when they lost their opening two games.

The Gunners are pursuing an eighth successive Premiership maximum on Manchester City territory.

REFEREE

Uriah Rennie (Sheffield, Yorkshire)

Premiership referees' table

Uriah Rennie's 2006-07 Premiership card count

SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM

MANCHESTER CITY

Club stats

Fixtures Last season: 15th 43 pointsThis season: 17th 1 point

1. Pressing for a first win in six Premiership matches.

2. Drawn one and lost four top flight games since beating Aston Villa 0-1 at Villa Park on 25 April.

3. Lost 10 of the last 12 League matches.

4. Began the season with a 3-0 thrashing from champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and ended goalless in the midweek home fixture against Portsmouth, which was marked by an awful tackle by Ben Thatcher on Pedro Mendes, leaving the Portsmouth Portuguese midfielder hospitalised.

5. Not scored in 322 minutes (five hours 22 minutes) of Premiership football, since David Sommeil's consolation goal in the 1-3 home defeat by ARSENAL on 4 May.

6. Winless in five home Premiership games.

7. Drawn one and lost four top flight matches at the City of Manchester Stadium, since the 2-1 eclipse of lowly Sunderland on 5 March.

8. Gone 35 games since a score draw - the longest such sequence in the Premiership.

9. The Manchester derby at Old Trafford on 10 September last year was the most recent occasion City recorded a score draw in the top League (1-1.)

10. Have picked up just one point after the first three games of a Premiership season on four occasions to date.

ARSENAL

Club stats

Fixtures Last season: 4th 67 pointsThis season: 12th 1 point

1. Unbeaten in seven Premiership matches.

2. Won four and drawn three League games since losing 2-0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford on 9 April.

3. Suffered one defeat in 12 top flight contests.

4. After the international break, Arsenal must host Chelsea's midweek conquerors
Middlesbrough on 9 September, and then visit Manchester United on Sunday, 17 September.

KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES

MANCHESTER CITY

Squad profiles

If he participates, Dietmar HAMANN will be playing on the eve of his 33rd birthday.

If he plays, Joey BARTON will be making his 100th League appearance in a Manchester City
shirt.

If selected, Nicky WEAVER will be keeping goal in his 150th League match for the Citizens.

Andrew COLE and Paul DICKOV were both Arsenal trainees.

ARSENAL

Squad profiles

Freddy LJUNGBERG has scored five goals in six Premiership appearances against Manchester City.

If he plays, LJUNGBERG will be making his 200th Premiership appearance for the Gunners.

If on the field from the outset, GILBERTO SILVA will be making his 150th start for the Londoners.

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME

Manchester City 1-3 Arsenal4 May 2006 - Ref: Graham PollMan City scorer: Sommeil
38Arsenal scorers: Ljungberg 30, Reyes 78, 84

HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS

Home and awayLeague: Man City 40 wins, Arsenal 79, Draws 37Prem: Man City 0 wins, Arsenal 15, Draws 3

at Man City onlyLeague: Man City 27 wins, Arsenal 31, Draws 20Prem: Man City 0 wins, Arsenal 8, Draws 1

From : BBC