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(Photo by Tom McAtee)

Arsenal 5-1 Manchester City: Sloppy defending gifts Gunners three points in five-star Emirates performance

Arsenal closed the gap to Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table to six points with a 3-1 victory over Manchester City on Sunday.

The Gunners opened the scoring inside two minutes courtesy of a Martin Ødegaard strike from close range, and carried that lead into the interval before Erling Haaland levelled the scoreline at the start of the second half.

But Thomas Partey ensured the parity was broken just 38 seconds after play resumed, with Miles Lewis-Skelly smashing home a stunning goal mere minutes later. Kai Havertz added a fourth with less than 15 minutes left to play, before Ethan Nwaneri struck in stoppage time.

As it happened

For those who watched the clash between these two sides in the Women’s Super League earlier on Sunday, early signs indicated this Premier League affair would paint an eerily similar story.

Trying to play out from the back proved costly for Manchester City, as Manuel Akanji found himself dispossessed by Leandro Trossard, with the Belgian quickly teeing up Kai Havertz. Arsenal’s German forward selflessly squared for Martin Ødegaard; his close-range finish beating Stefan Ortega with ease.

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The Gunners thought that they’d added a second goal inside the opening ten minutes when Gabriel Martinelli dinked Stefan Ortega – but alas, it would be there that the comparisons with their WSL victory earlier in the day ended, with the linesman’s flag was promptly raised as the Brazilian had strayed offside.

City settled after going behind, appearing content to maintain possession without doing anything of note with it. Almost 20 minutes had passed before they thought about flocking forward in numbers, with Phil Foden’s foray into the box abruptly halted by Thomas Partey.

Yet momentum quickly built, and David Raya was swiftly tested by Joško Gvardiol to tip the Croatian’s header onto the crossbar as the defender thumped an Omar Marmoush corner towards goal.

But just as City looked to be forging quality chances of their own, another blunder in defence handed Sunday’s hosts an opportunity to double their lead as Ortega inexplicably played a short pass to Mateo Kovačić who was instantly tackled, allowing the fall to fall for Havertz. Seemingly low in confidence, the Arsenal frontman blasted wide of the post when it really would have been easier to score.

And it was a mistake that would come back to bite the Gunners in the second half, as Erling Haaland awakened from a sleepy showing before the break to thunder home an equaliser. Rising highest at the back post to prod home a Savinho cross, the Norwegian forward netted his 250th senior club goal in just his 313th appearance.

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But the Gunners quickly found their lead again, drawing another similarity between this Premier League outing and the WSL fixture of Sunday lunchtime. Just 38 seconds after the restart, Mikel Arteta’s men were leading once more as Thomas Partey drifted into space on the edge of the box, thundering into the top-left corner to spark euphoria.

Arsenal’s advantage would be extended again moments later, as Miles Lewis-Skelly – who, had it not been for his red card being overturned, would have been suspended for this clash – thundered home a coming-of-age goal with power and precision.

The 18-year-old received possession on the corner of the box, driving towards goal before jinking into space between John Stones and Akanji to curl into the far corner and write his name in the North London lights.

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This is a fixture that, every time it is played, sparks questions about Mikel Arteta’s ability to threaten Pep Guardiola; for the apprentice to surpass his master. With 15 minutes left to play at the Emirates Stadium, Arteta looked to have done just that as a Havertz goal – Arsenal’s fourth of the evening – looked to spark serious conversation about whether Guardiola has had his ‘Mourinho moment’; the moment when those tried and tested tactics began to falter and fail.

Guardiola could barely believe his eyes when, with two minutes of the three added on played, Ethan Nwaneri struck gold to cap off a five-star performance, curling into the far corner as the products of Arsenal’s Hale End academy prove their worth against the reigning champions.

Arsenal will be hoping for another performance of this quality when they head to face Newcastle United in midweek, needing to overturn a two-goal deficit from the first leg of their Carabao Cup clash. Manchester City are on the road at Leyton Orient next time out, before hosting Real Madrid in a mouthwatering UEFA Champions League play-off.

The lineups

ARS: Raya; Lewis-Skelly, Gabriel, Saliba, Timber; Rice, Partey, Ødegaard; Trossard, Havertz, Martinelli

MCI: Ortega; Gvardiol, Stones, Akanji, Nunes; Kovačić, Silva; Savinho, Marmoush, Foden; Haaland

Arsenal 5-1 Manchester City: Sloppy defending gifts Gunners three points in five-star Emirates performance – FromTheSpot