Arsenal wanted to provoke Manchester City into a war during last weekend's Premier League clash but the champions are ready for the challenge, City manager Pep Guardiola said on Friday.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri will miss the rest of the season with a serious knee injury, dealing a huge blow to their hopes of winning a fifth straight Premier League title.
Sterling marked his maiden Arsenal start following his transfer deadline day move from Chelsea with a second-half strike in the third-round tie at the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta stood by Arsenal's defensive tactics in their explosive Premier League clash with Manchester City, saying he would have been "thick" not to learn from previous clashes.
But for much of Pep Guardiola's time in charge of City, it was Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool who were consistently their title rivals.
John Stones' 98th minute equaliser salvaged a 2-2 draw for Manchester City against 10-man Arsenal in a bad-tempered clash between the two favourites for the Premier League title on Sunday.
Spaniard Raya dived low to his right to beat out Mateo Retegui's spot kick in the 51st minute then sprang across his goal to claw away the forward's follow up header.
Arsenal players are unfazed by Manchester City striker Erling Haaland's goal-scoring rampage, midfielder Jorginho said vouching for the Gunners' confidence ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash with City.
The Gunners shrugged off the absence of key midfielders Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard to remain undefeated this season and close within two points of leaders Manchester City.
Arsenal moved back to the top of the Premier League as goals from William Saliba, Gabriel Jesus and Fabio Vieira put the gloss on a dominant performance to beat Brentford 3-0.
Manchester United kicked off their Europa League campaign poorly with a 1-0 home defeat by Real Sociedad as Arsenal's new signing Marquinhos scored in a 2-1 win at FC Zurich on Thursday.
Antony scored on his dream debut for Manchester United as the Brazilian's clinical strike and Marcus Rashford's double inspired a 3-1 win that ended Arsenal's perfect start to the Premier League season on Sunday.
Gabriel made amends for a dreadful error by scoring the winner in a 2-1 victory at home to Fulham on Saturday as Arsenal won their fourth straight game to start the Premier League season.
Martin Odegaard scored twice in the opening 11 minutes as Arsenal outclassed newly-promoted Bournemouth for a 3-0 victory to move top of the Premier League on Saturday.
Manchester City stormed ominously to the top of the Premier League, cruising to a 4-0 win over Bournemouth, while Gabriel Jesus opened his Arsenal account in a 4-2 win over Leicester on Saturday.
Arsenal's debutants paved the way for a 2-0 win at Crystal Palace on the opening night of the Premier League season on Friday and coach Mikel Arteta said there might be some more new faces coming in before the end of the transfer window.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said his side are ready to go to a "different level" this season and that the additions of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko will help develop the younger members of the squad.
For all the global appeal and excitement the Premier League generates, there is a clear danger that the dominance of Manchester City and Liverpool reaches a level of repetitiveness that undermines the competitive appeal of England's top flight.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta hopes that Gabriel Jesus' experience of regularly winning trophies at Manchester City will rub off on his new teammates.