But this season the composition of the Arsenal team is far more prepared and Arteta has refreshed the squad by bringing in a number of new players who are quite reliable. But it seems that this season's competition is far more challenging when compared to last season, not only Manchester City are so resilient in defending their titles but other teams such as Liverpool and Tottenham have also given a signal of resurrection so that it will potentially re-erase Arsenal's hope to win EPL champions. I think Arteta must really be able to foster a fighting spirit and the mentality of his players to be able to compete at the top of the standings.
No, with the current play style and players that Arsenal have, they can't beat Manchester City. Arteta always play defensive and if they're leading 1-2 goals, they're already happy and will not score any more goals. Arsenal still don't have a pure striker too, so they're still behind from Manchester City.
Only Liverpool can beat Manchester City, they're not really stable, but they have a capability to surprise any club including the tough one.