Manchester City vs. Arsenal Set for March 11 After Postponement for Carabao Cup

Mikel Arteta will pit his wits against former boss Pep Guardiola for the first time on Wednesday, March 11 after Arsenal's trip to Manchester City in the Premier League was officially rescheduled:

Former Gunners skipper Arteta spent just over three seasons as one of Guardiola's assistants in the City dugout before returning to north London as Arsenal head coach on December 26. 

Arsenal will attempt to snap a dismal run of five straight defeats in all competitions against City on the same night Liverpool host Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain face Borussia Dortmund at home in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League last 16.

The new date will stretch City's depth and fitness levels, with the game taking place three days after the Manchester derby against United at Old Trafford. Arsenal's visit to the Etihad Stadium will also be a mere six days ahead of City hosting Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League last 16, with the Citizens holding a 2-1 lead from the first leg.

As for Arsenal, league duty will beckon three days later for a trip to face Brighton & Hove Albion.

City were originally slated to face the Gunners on March 1, but the Manchester club's place in the 2020 Carabao Cup final against Aston Villa forced the fixture to be moved.

A 2-1 win over Villa gave the Citizens the trophy for a third time in as many seasons. The victory also maintained the phenomenal haul of domestic silverware City have captured since Guardiola took over in 2016.

Arteta was a key figure behind this sustained success. He helped Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane become prolific wingers while he learned from Guardiola one of the game's great serial winners:

His work with Guardiola helped recommend Arteta to take the reins at his former club after Freddie Ljungberg had stepped in on an interim basis following Unai Emery's dismissal back in November.

Getting Arsenal to City's level is Arteta's main challenge. The scale of the task is made all the more daunting by the gulf class obvious during recent encounters between the two.

City beat the Gunners 2-0 at home and 3-1 away last season. Those results were a ruthless way to follow up 3-1 and 3-0 triumphs during the 2017/18 campaign. The same season, Arsene Wenger's last in charge at Arsenal, also saw the Citizens thump the Gunners 3-0 in another Carabao Cup final at Wembley.

It was 3-0 again when Ljungberg led Arsenal out against Arteta and Co. at the Emirates Stadium on December 15. Kevin De Bruyne helped himself to a brace while Raheem Sterling added another.

Both players are still helping to lead a devastating City forward line. Guardiola's side is second in England's top flight, 22 points behind Liverpool, but has scored the most goals in the division with 68.

It's an ominous sign for a vulnerable Arsenal defence, although improvement has been noticeable on Arteta's watch. The Gunners have kept four clean sheets in the last six matches in all competitions, with the latest coming in Monday's 2-0 win away to Portsmouth in the FA Cup fifth round.

Centre-back Pablo Mari caught the eye while starting his first senior game for Arsenal at Fratton Park after arriving on loan from Flamengo during the January transfer window.

Mari was on the books at City from 2016 to 2019, and his arrival continues Arteta's attempts to install some of the City framework at Arsenal. Winning is something the 37-year-old is used to after ending his playing career by winning a pair of FA Cups with Wenger's Gunners in 2014 and 2015.

Aside from guiding Arsenal into the last eight of the same competition, Arteta has also started by taking 14 points from 27 in the league. Yet elimination from the last 32 of the UEFA Europa League at the hands of Olympiacos on Thursday represented his first serious setback.

The defeat damaged Arsenal's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in four years. There's still an outside chance, with Arteta's team five points adrift of fifth-place United and having played a game less.

How Arsenal fare in that game in hand will be the most accurate gauge of how much improvement has been made and how far Arteta needs to go to match the standards Guardiola has set.