It's being billed as the biggest Premier League clash in years. On Sunday, Arsenal finally travel to the Etihad Stadium to take on Manchester City in what has been marked in the calendar as potential title-decider for months. But with the two sides separated by just six points at the top of the table, and City holding a crucial game in hand, Mikel Arteta's out-of-sorts Gunners shouldn't feel like they need to live up to the much-hyped occasion.

With the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly presumably disappearing into the rearview mirror, the battle for the Ballon d'Or hasn't felt so open for the best part of 20 years, with countless players now beginning each campaign believing they have a chance of claiming the most prestigious individual prize football has to offer. Ousmane Dembele emerged from a career plagued by injuries and inconsistencies to win the Golden Ball in 2025, and he is among a crowded field of contenders one year on.

Declan Rice has sent a defiant message to Manchester City, insisting that Arsenal are prepared to go all out for victory in Sunday’s monumental Premier League clash. The Gunners midfielder believes his side have the mentality required to handle the pressure of the Etihad Stadium as the title race reaches its boiling point.

Declan Rice, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are all considered to be Ballon d’Or-worthy talents, but who will be the next Englishman to win the prestigious Golden Ball? Former Three Lions midfielder Gareth Barry has delivered his verdict to GOAL, with Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid superstars eager to be recognised as the best player on the planet.