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Just three days before they each head into their final fixture of the Premier League season with the title still within their grasp, Arsenal and Manchester City have both unveiled their new home kits for the 2024-25 season. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Arsenal go into Sunday's games two points behind leaders City, who are aiming for an unprecedented fourth-consecutive English league championship. The Gunners host Everton knowing that they must win and hope City do not claim victory at home against West Ham United in order to secure their first title since the famed "Invincibles" side did so in 2003-04. But, before that, there is the almost-as-serious business of launching the new jerseys, with stars from the men's and women's teams of each club taking on modelling duties. Arsenal's new kit sees a welcome return to the shirt of a prominent and popular piece of the club's historic iconography. Indeed, the big news that is certain to delight fans is that the cannon is back on the chest of an Arsenal home shirt for the first time since 1989-90 with a white, silhouetted image of the artillery piece replacing the usual club badge for next season. The cannon is of course a reference to the Gunners' earliest roots as a football club when a team was formed by workers at the Royal Arsenal ammunition and munitions factory in Woolwich, south London, in 1886 -- hence their nickname. The emblem has been a staple of their badge since its first incarnation in 1888, and was retained even when they left Woolwich and moved to north London in 1913. As for the rest of the 2024-25 home shirt, the basic template from manufacturers Adidas remains unchanged with the usual red torso and white sleeves presented in fairly customary fashion. The white panels of fabric are also overlaid with a subtle tile effect to add a little additional lustre. The colour of the trim has changed from 2023-24's gold to a dark blue hue with the blue flashing on the lower edges of the shirt also extending down to the (predominantly white) shorts -- a lesser-spotted design cue that has a distinctly "2006 World Cup" feel to it. City, meanwhile, sought inspiration from their local heritage, though from an unlikely source. The new 2024-25 home kit from manufacturers Puma features the numbers "0161" in the trim details of the jersey, a reference to the local phone dialling code of the city of Manchester. To hammer the point home, City enlisted Mancunian rapper Tays to write and perform the soundtrack for the launch video. Some flash details have also been added down each flank, which help break up the block sky blue of the rest of the jersey which makes it unmistakably Manchester City. One of these jerseys will be worn next season by the reigning Premier League champions -- but which one? We'll have to wait until Sunday to find out.
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