Arsenal were determined to make this run more than just a flash in the pan though and added to their ranks in the transfer window. Roughly £200million was spent in an aim to bolster their options, with the hopes of finally lifting the league title at the Emirates Stadium in May.

The campaign has had a decent start for the Gunners, who have five wins and two draws to their name, giving them 17 points from their opening seven games. While there were a couple of disappointing results in there, they are still in the hunt towards the top of the table.

Man City only find themselves one point above Arsenal so far, recording six wins and one loss from their first few games of the season. That one loss came against Wolves last weekend following on from an EFL Cup exit to Newcastle, bringing up questions over their run in two consecutive defeats.

They put that behind them in the Champions League in midweek though as they dispatched RB Leipzig with a 3-1 win. It led to Guardiola sending a clear warning to Arsenal ahead of their meeting this weekend, saying on TNT Sports: “I’m not going to judge my team on results.

“Both games [against Newcastle and Wolves] was maybe not the best performance but it was not easy when ten players defend in the box. Ten players defending, five players, four players and a striker and a holding midfielder all in the box, it’s not easy.

“So it happened, we were unlucky with the first goal, we were not sharp enough, it happened. It’s many games so I can understand it. But despite that, if you think I’m going to doubt about the players or doubt about what we’re going to do this season because today we could have lost again, then you are wrong. You are not the right person to do these questions.

“I rely on these guys unconditionally, winning or not winning, because I know the training sessions, the mentality that they have and they prove it. And now we are going to Arsenal to do our game.

“Rest and hopefully we can arrive in March, April, May being there [in the title race], close to the competitions. And I have a feeling we will not be an easy opponent to beat.”