Arsenal delivered a stunning performance on Sunday, demolishing Manchester City 5-1 at the Emirates Stadium and injecting fresh life into their Premier League title challenge, Al Jazera reports.
The Gunners showcased a ruthless display of attacking prowess, overcoming an early City equalizer to secure a resounding victory.
The win comes as a crucial boost for Mikel Arteta’s side, who had no room for error after Liverpool’s Saturday victory extended their lead at the top to nine points. Arsenal responded emphatically, with captain Martin Odegaard firing them ahead within the opening two minutes.
City, the reigning champions, initially responded with a 55th-minute equalizer from Erling Haaland, who notched his 25th goal of the season with a close-range header. However, City’s defensive frailties and careless mistakes, which have plagued their season, resurfaced to cost them dearly. Thomas Partey capitalized on a poor pass from Phil Foden to restore Arsenal’s lead just two minutes after Haaland’s goal.
The Gunners never looked back, with Myles Lewis-Skelly scoring his first Arsenal goal, followed by late strikes from Kai Havertz and Ethan Nwaneri to seal a dominant victory. The emphatic win pulls Arsenal within six points of league leaders Liverpool and extends their unbeaten run to 14 games. While Liverpool still hold a game in hand, Arsenal’s vibrant performance showcased their determination to push the Reds to the very end.
Arsenal now sit at 50 points from 24 games, while Liverpool are top with 56 points from 23 games. Manchester City, languishing in fourth place with 41 points, are now a distant prospect in the title race. This loss extends City’s winless run against Arsenal to four league games and ended their six-game unbeaten run in the top flight.
City manager Pep Guardiola, whose side’s pursuit of a fifth consecutive title has long since faded, appeared increasingly agitated on the sidelines. Guardiola’s decision to bring in John Stones for Abdukodir Khusanov backfired. Stones was directly involved in the opening goal conceded when his poor pass to Manuel Akanji led to Arsenal’s early opener scored by Odegaard.
Earlier in the season, Haaland had told Arteta to “stay humble” during a heated 2-2 draw and threw the ball at Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes, adding extra bite to this fixture. But it was Arsenal who ultimately had the last laugh.
After Haaland’s equalizer, Arsenal responded with a display of clinical finishing. Partey unleashed a long-range drive that took a deflection off Stones. Then, 18-year-old left-back Lewis-Skelly, showed remarkable composure to curl a fine finish into the far corner and followed it up with a cheeky jibe by mimicking Haaland’s trademark meditative celebration. Havertz added to the misery for City with a well-taken goal in the 76th minute, and deep into stoppage time, teenager Nwaneri capped off the performance with a superb finish into the far corner.
