Hoping to head into September’s international break with a statement on Saturday lunchtime, Manchester City certainly enjoyed a real flurry as they stormed their way to a 5-0 romp against a struggling Arsenal at the Etihad.
Watching their name drawn in Group A for this year’s Champions League, a group they will share with the likes of RB Leipzig and PSG, the defending English champions put on a real show over the weekend as they managed to extend on what is a rampant record against the Gunners.
Marching on to their ninth straight Premier League victory against Mikel Arteta’s downbeat squad, goals from Ikay Gundogan, Gabriel Jesus, Rodri, and a brace from Ferran Torres wrapped up what quickly turned into a routine home performance.
With Pep Guardiola only piling more pressure onto his former right-hand man, we have taken a look at all the major talking points.
City run rampant
While the defending Premier League champions might have opened the 2021/22 campaign with a sluggish display in their 1-0 loss away at Tottenham earlier in the month, Manchester City have bounced back in some style.
Looking to defend their crown this season and fully recover from May’s Champions League defeat at the hands of Chelsea, the former Bayern Munich boss really saw his side lay down another marker on Saturday lunchtime as they breezed past Arsenal without really breaking a sweat.
Pouncing on some schoolboy defending by the Gunners and watching Gundogan and Torres put them 2-0 up with just 12 minutes on the clock, the Sky Blues had all but wrapped up proceedings as the in-form Jesus tapped home a third after some wonderful build-up play by summer arrival Jack Grealish.
Not having to get out of second gear against their 10-men opponents throughout the whole of the second-half, Guardiola was right to praise his team’s performance as Rodri and the impressive Torres completed what will be remembered as a classic Manchester City performance.
With Liverpool welcoming Chelsea to Anfield later in the day, there is no doubt that Guardiola couldn’t have wished for a better afternoon in front of what was a packed Etihad.
Arsenal’s nightmare only goes on
While Manchester City might head into September’s international break riding a real wave of momentum, the same cannot be said for what is an Arsenal side who find themselves in the midst of a Premier League nightmare.
Despite gaining a much-needed boost earlier in the week as they landed a 6-0 romp away at West Brom on EFL Cup duties, the struggling North London outfit came crashing back down to earth on Saturday lunchtime and the pressure is reaching a boiling point for Arteta.
Along with heading down the Etihad tunnel 3-0 down, things were not made any easier for the weekend’s guests as they were reduced to 10-men after Granit Xhaka was shown a straight red card by Martin Atkinson after a lunging challenge on Joao Cancelo only minutes before the interval.
Opening the 2021/22 campaign with that shock 2-0 defeat at the hands of Brentford, and watching Chelsea snatch London bragging rights last weekend, Arsenal’s 5-0 drumming in Manchester means that the former champions have lost each of their first three top-flight contests for the first time since way back in 1954.
Desperate to try and find some respite after a dreadful month in North London, Arsenal will be next seen when they face off against Norwich after the international break in what is a must-win showdown.
Blues extend on remarkable record against the Gunners
Making it back-to-back Premier League wins and racking up 10 goals in doing so, there is no doubt that Manchester City will be boosted by what has turned into nothing short of a stunning record against Saturday’s guests.
Eventually putting five past his former right-hand man in front of 52,000 fans at the Etihad, that result was the ninth straight Premier League meeting that the Sky Blues have picked up maximum points against Arteta’s strugglers.
In fact, along with Arsenal setting a new club record for their longest top-flight losing streak against a single opponent, Guardiola’s side have remarkably won each of the last six straight home fixtures against the Gunners by an aggregate score of 20-3.
Match Report:
Manchester City: Ederson (5), Walker (5), Diaz (7), Laporte (7.5), Cancelo (7.5), Gundogan (8.5), Rodri (8), Silva (8), Grealish (8), Torres (9), Jesus (8.5)
Subs: Sterling (7.5), Mahrez (8), Zinchenko (7.5)
Arsenal: Leno (5.5), Cedric (3), Chambers (2.5), Holding (4), Kolasinac (2.5), Tierney (4.5), Smith Rowe (6), Xhaka (1), Ødegaard (4.5), Saka (4), Aubameyang (3)
Subs: Elneny (4), Maitland-Niles (3), Lacazette (4)
Goals: Gundogan 7’, Torres 12’, 84’, Jesus 43’, Rodri 53’
Yellow Cards: Manchester City: Rodri – Arsenal: Kolasinac, Cedric
Red Cards: Xhaka
Referee: Martin Atkinson
- Soccer News Like
- Be the first of your friends!
