Manchester City beat Arsenal, 3-1, at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday in one of the most anticipated games of the current Premier League campaign. Arsenal entered the match three points ahead of City for the league lead. The two clubs have amassed a combined 31 wins from just 43 top-flight matches so far this season.
Arsenal was the better team in the first 20 minutes of the match. The hosts had the majority of possession and had a very good chance to open the scoring. Eddie Nketiah sent a header wide wide of the post in the 22nd minute after Oleksandr Zinchenko had laid the ball out. However, City struck first.
Arsenal’s defenders gave the ball away too easily that night.
Gunners defender Takehiro Tomiyasu attempted a back pass to goalie Aaron Ramsdale. The ball, however, was played well below the goalkeeper and Kevin De Bruyne seized the opportunity. Although the ball was handed directly to the star midfielder, De Bruyne finished off the goal very well. The Belgian had to lift the ball over Ramsdale to put his team ahead.
The Gunners were awarded a penalty 15 minutes later. Anthony Taylor awarded the hosts the kick from the penalty spot after Ederson hit Nketiah, failing to get any of the ball. Bukayo Saka stepped up to shoot and level the score. The goal was the winger’s eighth Premier League goal of the season.
City then received a penalty of their own in the 57th minute. Gabriel essentially wrestled Erling Haaland to the ground inside the penalty area. The Arsenal defender was also booked for the tackle. However, the decision was overturned after a VAR intervention. Haaland was offside when he initially received the ball. Gabriel’s yellow card was also cancelled.
Grealish puts City ahead of Arsenal in the Premier League
However, Jack Grealish put the visitors ahead 14 minutes later. Like City’s first goal, Arsenal gave away the ball to start the play. This time, it was Gabriel who gave possession directly to the opposition. Bernardo Silva played for Haaland, who found Ilkay Gundogan on the edge of the area. The German then played a clever pass to a wide-open Grealish to finish off the goal.
Haaland capped the victory with his league-leading 26th goal in his first Premier League campaign. Perhaps unsurprisingly, De Bruyne passed the ball to the Norwegian for the assist. The duo have now teamed up six times in England’s top flight during the current campaign.
The top two teams in the Premier League will continue to meet in the league once again. City host the Gunners on April 26. Arsenal will try to pick up three points against City in the Premier League for the first time since 2015.
Also, while City ends the night on top of the table, Arsenal has played one less. That make-up game is against Everton, who are entrenched in relegation, on March 1. However, Arsenal’s next game in the league is on the road against Aston Villa. Manchester City are looking to retain their new place at the top when they play Nottingham Forest. Both games are on Saturday, February 18.
PHOTO: IMAGO/PA Images
