1. 1995 was the last season Arsenal played without Arsene Wenger as manager. Manchester United and Newcastle finished first and second in the title race. Alan Shearer led the league with 31 goals. Eric Cantona and Les Ferdinand split Player of the Year honors between the Football Writers Association and the PFA. Sir Alex Ferguson was named Manager of the Year. Arsenal finished in fifth place, tied on points with Aston Villa, and qualified for the Europa League.
  2. In explaining how his Manchester City side can improve upon last season’s record breaking title run, Pep Guardiola pointed out two specific areas in a preseason interview: first, Benjamin Mendy adds another option as a true fullback on the left side. Secondly, he wants to find a way to break down opponent’s 5-4-1 bunkering formations. Once the foundation is laid, improvements come from the smallest details.
  3. Guardiola continued to dish out the compliments to fellow foreign managers. He said his fellow Spaniard and new Arsenal manager Unai Emery lines up in a 4-2-3-1 and “knows everything about opponents.”
  4. Emery has yet to beat Guardiola in ten matches.
  5. In contrast to new Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri, Emery was unafraid to raise expectations in describing how close Arsenal are to success. He envisions his side as the “protagonists” by controlling matches through positioning and combination play.
  6. 22-year-old Uruguayan Lucas Torreira was the marquee signing of Emery’s summer. At $35 million, the 5-4 defensive midfielder is expected to add a physicality and ball winning to a spine badly needed in Arsene Wenger’s latter stages.
  7. Emery named five Arsenal captains led by Laurent Koscielny, backed by Petr Cech, Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Granit Xhaka.
  8. There was a shock with Emery starting 19-year-old Matteo Guendouzi at the holding midfielder role. At this time a year ago, Guendouzi was playing for Lorient in Ligue 2. He was purchased for less than $9 million a month ago.
  9. Arsenal are playing directly behind City’s high line early. Raheem Sterling received an early yellow card for a tackle on Guendouzi, and defender Aymeric Laporte could have gotten another for a challenge on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
  10. Compare City’s switches of play to Wolves from Saturday’s match against Everton. City pass from sideline to sideline through the center midfield as opposed to Wolves relying on Ruben Neves for long balls.
  11. As noted by Guardiola in his preseason analysis, the relationship between Sterling and Mendy gives City a new dimension in their attack. Sterling often receives the ball on the sideline with Mendy underlapping. This is in contrast to Kyle Walker overlapping on the right side.
  12. Sterling’s first goal was too easy, with Guendouzi and Granit Xhaka giving him too much space cutting in from the left. Those are exactly the types of situations that Torreira was brought over to handle.
  13. Arsenal, using a 4-3-3 shape in defending, are switching between a high press and a medium block when defending in their attempt to destabilize City in possession. Regardless, it shows a dynamism off the ball from Emery’s side. 
  14. With 34-year-old Stephan Lichtsteiner replacing 20-year-old Ainsley Maitland-Niles at left back, he and Sokratis are a combined 64 years old on Arsenal’s left side of defense.
  15. While City’s pressing is cutting off space in Arsenal’s build up, they’ve yet to take advantage of mistakes. It’s also highlighting Cech’s limitations in possession, especially in lieu of high priced signings of Alisson and Kepa this transfer window.
  16. Aubameyang’s shot just before halftime showed how quickly and directly Arsenal could play with space.
  17. Aaron Ramsey went off early for Alexandre Lacazette in an attempt to establish a back to goal presence in Arsenal’s buildup. His impact was immediate as he almost scored a curler. Guardiola countered by swapping Kevin De Bruyne for Riyad Mahrez to re-establish control in midfield.
  18. Mendy's touchline pass on Bernardo Silva’s goal is tangible evidence of the left back’s dynamism and athleticism as compared to Fabian Delph. Delph provides more structure in midfield and is more assured in building up play, but Mendy can provide verticality and pace to open up an opposition’s backline.
  19. Finally Torreira comes on for Xhaka and shows his bite in midfield. Guendouzi had some debut as his numbers were more impressive than the visual display. He recorded the most touches and most passes attempted on his side. Xhaka meanwhile lost the ball 19 times in central midfield. Torreira must start next week at Chelsea. 
  20. The 2-0 scoreline played out as expected. With Aubameyang’s pace in attack along with Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Mesut Ozil’s playmaking and Ramsey’s drive, Arsenal are at their best when playing vertically at pace as opposed to side to side possession out of the back. This is especially important as Cech and Guendouzi struggled with City’s press. Yet, in a theme that should play out throughout the season considering Emery’s work at Sevilla, the interplay between pressing and sitting back when off the ball with be as instrumental as what they do with it. 
  21. City play Huddersfield Town, Wolves, Newcastle, Fulham, Cardiff City and Brighton in their next six matches and could conceivably be on 21 points before facing Liverpool in October. Arsenal, meanwhile, face Chelsea next week.