Why Arsenal have cancelled Mikel Arteta press conference before Man City game

The latest Arsenal news as Mikel Arteta will not hold a traditional pre-match conference before the Gunners take on Premier League title rivals Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta will not be hosting a traditional pre-match press conference before Arsenal take on Manchester City. That much-anticipated Premier League showdown between two sides who are, once again, expected to battle for the title, will take place on Sunday afternoon (4.30pm).

Arsenal have 10 points so far this season and are two points adrift of star-studded reigning champions City - who boast a 100 per cent record - at the summit after four games.

Before meeting City, Arsenal take on Atalanta in the Champions League on Thursday night. The Gunners will travel to face last season's Europa League winners in Bergamo before then returning to England to prepare to face City at the weekend in a mouth-watering fixture.

Because of the relatively short turnaround between those games, and the fact Arsenal are travelling back to north London in the early hours of Friday morning, there will not be a traditional pre-match press conference held before the City meeting. But that does not mean we won't hear from Arteta.

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Arteta will instead speak to the media in a separate section at his post-match press conference after the midweek match with Atalanta. He will, though, speak post-City as per usual at the Etihad Stadium.

After facing Atalanta, Arteta will almost-certainly be asked about going up against old colleague Pep Guardiola in the dugout once again. The previous meeting between the two clubs ended in a goalless draw, at the same venue, in March as City went on to win their fourth-straight title.

Arsenal did win the first meeting against City in the Premier League last season, grabbing a 1-0 win at the Emirates Stadium last October. Arteta and Co. will be hoping to take points off the reigning champions when they meet this weekend after - hopefully - getting their Champions League charge off to a perfect start in Italy.

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