The two best teams in the Premier League put their title race on hold as Manchester City and Arsenal meet in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Friday.
City are five points back of the Gunners, who lead the league with 50 points after 19 games. The Sky Blues sit in second place with five fewer points, but they've also played one more match than the north London side.
While Friday's match won't count towards the league standings, many will naturally view it as a precursor to the two Premier League games yet to come between the two high-powered sides. Pep Guardiola is of two minds on the matter, with the City manager stressing the importance of the FA Cup as its own competition while also acknowledging that the game will be used as a measuring stick between the teams.
“It’s a different competition,” Guardiola said.
“It’s the FA Cup. It’s a final. And of course, it’s more than Arsenal - it’s about proving ourselves – how is our level?
“When a team makes 50 points in one [half of a season], it’s because they have been the best and they are.
“So we have to prove ourselves, how far away or how close we are and the best way to notice is perform our best level.
“Otherwise against a team in that moment, it will be difficult.”
Here's how you can watch the match.
Manchester City vs. Arsenal: Date, time, live stream and how to watch
Streaming options listed below are for the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
- Date: Friday, January 27
- Kick-off time: 8:00 p.m. GMT / 3:00 p.m. ET
- Live stream: ESPN+ (USA), SN NOW (Canada), ITV X (UK)