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Goals from Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, Miles Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz and Ethan Nwaneri sent a statement to Liverpool as Arsenal beat Manchester City 5-1.
Arsenal’s captain opened the scoring only for Erling Haaland to equalise in the second half, but four goals from four different scorers after the Norwegian’s header settled the win for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Despite City’s struggles this season, only six points separated the two sides before the match. Arsenal game into the game in better form though, unbeaten in their last five games and clutched a top eight position in the Champions League in the week with a 2-1 win against City Group member Girona.
There were many changes to the Arsenal side that won in Catalonia in the week, with only Trossard, Odegaard, Gabriel and Partey keeping their places in the starting eleven. Alternatively, City only made three changes to the side that beat Club Brugge 3-1 last Wednesday night, with Marmoush, Savinho and Ortega starting ahead of De Bruyne, Gundogan and Ederson.
Despite making less changes, it was Arsenal who made the much better start, pressing from the get go. With just over a minute played, John Stones laid it off to Manuel Akanji on the edge of the City box, but Leandro Trossard hunted the 29-year-old down, poaching the ball which feel to Kai Havertz. The former Chelsea forward squared the ball to his captain Martin Odegaard, who scored into an empty net.
The Gunners seemingly doubled their lead just four minutes later when Gabriel Martinelli dinked it over Stefan Ortega into the back of the net, but the Brazilian was narrowly ruled offside.
Pep Guardiola’s side struggled to get into the game from here, failing to create any sort of rhythm in possession due to Arsenal’s rigid shape and intense pressing. Their first effort of the game didn’t come until the 18th minute, when a wild Omar Marmoush shot went sailing over the bar.
His shot would signify a momentary comeback into the game, as Josko Gvardiol would meet a cross at the backpost, but his powerful header would be met with a strong save from David Raya.
The aforementioned intense Arsenal press would generate a golden chance in the 25th minute, as Declan Rice found Mateo Kovacic lacking on the ball and Kai Havertz broke through into the box alone, but his shot went wide of the target in what was a massive chance for the German he should have scored.
The second half would start how the first half ended with City dominating the possession and the chances, and their persistence would be rewarded in the 55th minute when Erling Haaland rose above his bitter rival Gabriel to head home from close range for his 19th league goal of the season.
City’s jubilation was short lived though as just two minutes later Arsenal would break forward, and Thomas Partey would send a shot flying towards Ortega from around 20 yards out. A deflection off John Stones sent the ball well away from the German ‘keeper to his right, and Arsenal got themselves back in front once more.
Momentum continued to build in Arsenal’s favour from here, and in the 62nd minute 19-year-old Miles Lewis-Skelly broke down the left hand side and into the box, and with no defenders in sky blue closing him down, he sent a shot flying towards the top right-hand corner which Ortega got a hand to but not enough to stop his powerful effort making the back of the net ripple to put Arsenal 3-1 up.
Fans in the North Bank stand leaped to their feet in the 68th minute when Gabriel Martinelli came racing down the right-hand side, and let a powerful shot fly towards the goal which this time Ortega was equal to, pushing it away to his right.
Guardiola had seen enough by the 72nd minute; Phil Foden and Omar Marmoush were replaced by James McAttee and Kevin De Bruyne in an attempt to change his side’s fortunes.
These were not to change though, as in the 76nd minute Arsenal broke away on the counter attack again with Gabriel Martinelli down the right once more. He teed up Havertz up in the box, and unlike his chance in the 25th minute, he was able to apply a clinical finish into the bottom left hand corner to put Arsenal three goals ahead.
Such a cushion allowed Arteta to make changes of his own in the 84th minute, with Ethan Nwaneri and Mikel Merino entering the action for Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard.
No substitutions could stop the flow of traffic after Arsenal’s fourth goal, as the Emirates faithful cheekily began the Olé’s in the 87th minute.
Goalscorers Lewis-Skelly and Kai Havertz would depart the action in the 90th minute, with Ricardo Calafiori and former Manchester City man Raheem Sterling replacing them.
It wasn’t over for City though, as once again there were problems down the right hand side as Ethan Nwaneri cut inside and slammed home a wonderful effort that nestled into the bottom left hand corner in the 93rd minute, beating a deflated Ortega who failed to even dive at the effort.
Referee Peter Bankes promptly put an end to the champion’s misery, and the few City fans that were left in the Emirates stadium quickly departed.
Arsenal now turn their attention to turning over a 2-0 deficit against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night, meanwhile Manchester City face Leyton Orient next Saturday in the FA Cup.
