Arsenal vs Man City has become a thing in recent times. This is the tie that will spearhead the kick-off of the 2023/24 season.
It used to be a regular game about a decade ago, as the main rivals for the North London club were Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United.
The Gunners have grown over the years. They are a massive brand and a household name across the globe. Successes on the pitch have generated a sizable income for the club and turned it into one of the biggest names in world football.
The turn of events in English football seemed to unbalance the scale of dominance in the Premier League. Chelsea, and later Man City, was sold to billionaire owners.
The move challenged the traditional heavyweights like Manchester United and Arsenal. Perhaps, this accounts for the inability of Arsenal to compete in the financial market with clubs like Chelsea and Man City.
Arsenal vs Man City will be back on the screens in the season-opening Community Shield, where the Gunners will look to extract their pound of flesh from the Citizens.
The tie between these two English heavyweights will once again set tongues wagging. It lays a pleasant tone for the start of another engaging season.
What keeps football going?
Arsenal vs Man City has become a main talking point. Football has become more than a game. It has become a money-spinning source of entertainment.
Like most endeavours in its category, it has developed a cult following, with fans pitting their tents with different clubs. It is this vociferous support that keeps football going. It is why it has become arguably the most popular sport in the world.
Walk into bars, viewing centres, and gatherings of boys and men with loosely knitted guidelines, and the chances are the discussion would be around politics, the economy and football. It has become a religion of sorts, with the clubs the parishes of worship.
If we judge the top clubs by their number of fans, then Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City are the biggest in England. With these teams dominating England, Arsenal vs Man City has become a talked-about event for the season.
The burning question amongst fans is, who has the most fans in Nigeria?
Arsenal vs Man City – Their fans
Manchester City
Man City is a club that has risen from the doldrum to the top echelon of European football, thanks to the influx of oil money from the Abu Dhabi Royal family.
Their takeover of the club has transformed Man City into a massive force in England and Europe. They won the Premier League five times in the last six years, turning it into a monopoly.
Success attracts fans like flies to honey, and the success of Man City is no different. They have gradually increased their fan base due to their on-the-pitch success. The star players they have attracted to the Etihad have also played a role in their massive increase in followership.
The Citizens have developed an international appeal but have been the subject of mockery over their lack of support in their home stadium.
Arsenal
Arsenal vs Man City would never have been seen as a major talking point. It is where we are today with Abu Dhabi money turning the scales. Arsenal enjoyed their greatest growth under Arsene Wenger.
The style of play and the successes on the pitch endeared many fans to the North London club. The departure of Arsene Wenger left a massive void which the club has struggled to fill.
Arsenal enjoys a strong following at the Emirates but has struggled to compete financially with Man City, Chelsea and Manchester United. Their inability to attract star players has seen them fall the rungs of success. Perhaps, a Premier League title win would ginger the fan base to increase.
Arsenal vs Man City – Who has more fans in Nigeria?
When it comes to digital presence worldwide, Man City outstrips Arsenal. The lack of success by Arsenal has seen the dwindling growth of their supporter base. They have gone 20 years without winning the Premier League title.
While Arsenal has 81.2 million followers on social media, City outstrips them with 87.6 million. Man City has 41.2m Facebook followers, with Manchester United and Chelsea the Premier League side that can boast of a better following.
They also beat the Blues on YouTube and have the same followers as them on Tiktok – some 4.9m people.
In Nigeria, the successes of Man City are attracting new converts by the day, but are some way from matching Arsenal fans rooted in the country for a long time.
Chelsea is the most supported club in Nigeria, closely followed by Manchester United and Arsenal. The Gunners have over a million fans, with these figures based on official fan registration. Only Egypt outstrips Nigeria's Arsenal fans in numbers with over two million.
While the bar room and viewing centre arguments continue, Wembley will be agog for the Community Shield with Arsenal vs Man City.
This article was most recently revised and updated 3 months ago
