The return of the Premier League is nearly upon us which is welcome news for Arsenal supporters – as well as top flight clubs and broadcasters alike.

Mikel Arteta’s Gunners face Manchester City at the Etihad on Wednesday evening which follows Aston Villa vs Sheffield United in the two televised fixtures that will mark Project Restart.

City and the Gunners meet at the Etihad for their 29th league game of the extended 2019/20 campaign. The original match was scheduled for Wednesday, March 11 but postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic gripping the planet which halted our way of life, and forced the cessation of sport. A few days later, Arsenal head coach Arteta tested positive for the virus, which led to the shutdown of English football. 

For fans the return at the Etihad will be a bittersweet moment, unable to enter the stadium in a new normal where medial staff wear PPE, goalposts are disinfected, social distancing is practiced and cardboard replicas will have a front row seat.

Manchester City vs Arsenal preview

Pep Guardiola’s City may not have much to play for in the top flight this summer if Liverpool lift the Premier League title over the coming weeks – but the celebrated Catalan will be aiming to put one over his old confidante and trusted lieutenant Arteta.

With City a whopping 22 points behind Jurgen Klopp’s all-conquering Reds, the Merseysiders could lift the title within two games of the league resuming.

However, City have their eyes fixed on what they see as the main prize – the Champions League - glory and will use domestic football to keep their squad fit and firing ahead of their European return.

Form guide

The omens – and the numbers – are firmly in City’s favour. Pep Guardiola has never lost a home match against Arsenal throughout his managerial career, emerging victorious in six of the seven games he’s bossed against the Gunners.

While Arsenal are unbeaten in the league in 2020 (W4, D4), they have lost their past five league meetings with City – which is their longest losing run against an opponent since a seven-match streak versus Ipswich between 1974 and 1977.

The Gunners have won just one of 11 top-flight fixtures this season against teams currently above them in the table (D5, L5) andface stiff competition for European qualification, with eight points separating them in ninth place from Chelsea who sit in fourth, with a game in hand.

Team news

While City boss Pep Guardiola has the luxury of a fully fit squad to choose from - with Aymeric Laporte, who was out with a hamstring problem in March, also now fit to start - Arteta makes the trip to the Etihad without Calum Chambers and Lucas Torreira for the comeback game.

The latter is still to regain full fitness following a fractured ankle, while the former ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament last December, and is now back training outdoors, but is not expected to make an appearance again this season.

Full-back trio Hector Bellerin, Sead Kolasinac and Kieran Tierney are all fit and ready for the restart following a season blighted by injuries, while City’s Leroy Sane could be set to make his first appearance of the season after returning from a serious knee ligament injury.

Promising centre-back William Saliba – set to to join Arsenal from Saint-Étienne this summer - will not be able to play until next season. 

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored 49 goals in 75 Premier League appearances - if he scores in this game he will be the sixth fastest player to reach 50 in the competition

Arsenal have only played one game in the month of June – a 2-1 defeat by Sheffield United  be both sides' second competitive match in the month of June. Manchester City beat Newport County 5-1 at home in a second tier game in 1947, while in the same year Arsenal lost 2-1 at Sheffield United in a top-flight encounter.

How can I watch Manchester City vs Arsenal?

There are 92 matches still to play before we can all finally draw a line over the 2019-20 season – the longest campaign in the history of English football.

Supporters will be delighted to learn a large number of them are available on free-to-air TV, or non-paywalled subscription channels.

Will Manchester City’s match with Arsenal beat their previous viewing record for a live Premier League match – 4.04 million for their 2012 title-winning match with QPR.

The match saw them clinch the league with a last-gasp Sergio Aguero goal - in the second most dramatic climax to a season, after the Gunners never-to-be-equalled victory at Anfield in May 1989 saw them land the old Division One trophy.

Which broadcasters will show which games?

Sky Sports have 64 matches - 39 they had already agreed an additional 25.  BT Sport will broadcast 20 matches, picking up a further 12 games, while Amazon Prime will screen four matches, along with the BBC also having four.

What time is kick-off?

Man City v Arsenal will kick off at 815pm – the match will follow Aston Villa v Sheffield United, which will kick off at 6pm.

What TV channel is Man City v Arsenal on?

You can watch Man City v Arsenal live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 8pm.

Sky customers can add individual channels for £18 per month or add the complete sports package to their deal for just £23 per month

How to live stream Man City v Arsenal online

You can watch the match with a Sky Sports day passfor £9.99 or a month’s pass for £33.99, all without signing up to a contract.

NOW TV can be streamed through a computer or apps found on most smart TVs, phones and consoles. NOW TV is also available via BT Sport.

Existing Sky Sports customers can live stream the game via the Sky Go app on a variety of devices