Match Today: Manchester City vs Arsenal 27-01-2023 FA Cup

Manchester City host Arsenal in their fourth-round tie at the Etihad Stadium. Arsenal have defied their critics' harshest expectations by cementing their dominance at the top of the table, with Arsenal five points clear of second-placed City.

Arteta's men beat north London rivals Tottenham 2-0 this month before claiming a thrilling 3-2 victory over Manchester United in the Emirates.

And Arsenal, who has a postponed match, will face Guardiola's men in the league next month in the Emirates, which could have a significant impact on the race for the title this season.

City remain hot on the heels of league leaders Arsenal and secured a 3-0 win over Wolves on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium thanks to a stunning hat-trick from Erling Haaland.

Eddie Howe's Newcastle side, who are level on points with Manchester United in the top four, are expected to beat the Red Devils to finish third and join Manchester City, Newcastle and Arsenal in the Champions League next season, according to the supercomputer, with Tottenham finishing fifth.

He also faces the defending champions Arsenal in the fourth round of the FA Cup on January 28th, and faces them again in the English Premier League on February 16th.

In between, City face Tottenham and Aston Villa. Arsenal and City each played five matches between January 28 and February 18 when the latter meet Nottingham Forest.

The level points to Arsenal, who are five points clear at the top of the Premier League, but experience favors City. Arsenal have been impressive this season, racing to 50 points in the first half of their campaign, and clinching an unlikely title that looks likely to go on.

However, City, who have been hugely distinguished and successful in recent years, are unlikely to relinquish their title without a fight. They haven't met yet this season, which makes this clash particularly interesting.

With the two sides yet to face each other this season, and with their first meeting in the Premier League just weeks away, it will be interesting to see how well they fit in with each other.

Neither of them will want to overplay their role, but there's no doubt they'll relish the opportunity to strike a psychological blow. Some one-on-one battles - on the field and touchline - could be fascinating, not least for how they can influence the planning of future matches.

After three years working together at City, old mentor Guardiola and his former assistant Arteta seem unlikely to surprise each other if they stick to their usual game plan.

It will be interesting to see which formations and players are deployed for certain roles, or if there is any tactical divergence from the norm. Guardiola has won six of his seven meetings but Arteta triumphed in the 2020 FA Cup semi-final and has a stronger squad than before.

City have an almost fully fit squad with defenders John Stones and Robin Dias recently returning to action after injury layoffs.

The only question mark concerns England international Phil Foden, who did not participate at all against Wolverhampton last week, as Guardiola said he was suffering from a foot problem.

Phil Foden is indeed a player who needs game time having been quiet since returning from the World Cup, There are no new Arsenal injury concerns but Gabriel Jesus, Reiss Nelson and Mohamed Elneny have remained on the sidelines.