'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Arsenal were brushed aside by Manchester City at the Emirates as the Sky Blues moved into 3rd spot post the culmination of Premier League games on Sunday. The Gunners, meanwhile, were left rooted in 9th place, level on points with Crystal Palace and Newcastle United.
The Cityzens got into the ascendancy in the 2nd minute when Kevin De Bruyne adroitly rifled his half-volley into the net. 13 minutes later, the visitors doubled their tally when the Belgian turned provider for Raheem Sterling. De Bruyne then capped off a sensational first half-showing with a sumptuously taken goal in the 40th minute, thereby consigning the Gunners to another grey night in North London.
The score-line remained unaltered after the restart, meaning Arsenal were spared an absolute annihilation at the hands of the defending champions.
Here is a look at the talking points from the encounter.
#5 City’s razor-sharp attack slices through Arsenal’s heart like butter in the first half
Arsenal came into the game on the back of a couple of encouraging performances against Standard Liege and West Ham United. And, even though they only managed a draw against the Belgians, the character they showcased on the road hinted at a touch of optimism returning to the Emirates.
However, that bit of sanguineness evaporated rather swiftly as the Gunners indulged in their customary dire defensive display. Moments after Gabriel Martinelli had drawn a save out of Ederson, the hosts’ midfielders made a rather shoddy attempt to stop Fernandinho from stepping into midfield. The Brazilian then slipped in a through-ball for Gabriel Jesus.
Though the striker appeared second-favourite, he still managed to nudge ahead of Calum Chambers as the Englishman allowed the Brazilian to run in behind. Consequently, the City forward squared the ball for De Bruyne, who thumped his shot into the roof of the net.
In the 15th minute, Arsenal were again shambolic as Rodri led them a merry dance near the City box before releasing Phil Foden into space. The Englishman then picked out De Bruyne, who played a neat one-two with Jesus before drilling the ball across the box for Sterling to score.
And, in the 40th minute, the Belgian compounded the Gunners’ woes when he capitalized on the acres of space afforded to him in the centre of the park. Apart from the goals, the hosts looked afraid, weak to put in challenges and track their runners. On countless occasions during the opening period, they were caught ball-watching while their positioning also left an awful lot to be desired.
And, had it not been for the brilliance of Bernd Leno, the Gunners could well have been on the end of a four-goal pasting within 45 minutes. Over the past few weeks, the Emirates has been anything but a fortress with the venue not witnessing an Arsenal victory for eternity. Yet, at the end of a truly abysmal first half, the ground echoed a deafening silence and one that reverberated across the empty board room at the venue.
Also check out: Premier League Premier League Table UCL schedule
#4 Sead Kolasinac’s injury shrouds the Emirates with further gloom
A few days ago, Kieran Tierney was ruled out of action for the best part of three months with a dislocated shoulder. The injury to the Scotsman, in addition to the niggle plaguing Hector Bellerin, meant that Arsenal’s perennial injury crisis was well underway. But, rather amazingly, that particular predicament grew even more perilous when Sead Kolasinac hobbled off with a suspected ankle injury.
The Bosnian, after winning the ball on the wing, strode towards goal before Rodri hacked him down, thereby leading the full-back to twist his ankle on his way down. And, though Kolasinac tried his best to shake off the injury, he eventually succumbed to it, in the process, leaving the Gunners with only 10 men on the pitch.
Quite amusingly, the hosts conceded another during that duration. However, the Bosnian trudging off the pitch represented a rather grim quandary for the North Londoners. If the full-back were to be sidelined for the foreseeable future, it would force Arsenal to call upon an auxiliary left-back, a prospect that certainly wouldn’t aid their defensive endeavours.
Moreover, with the Gunners at sixes and sevens at the back, it could be damaging for a youngster of the ilk of Bukayo Saka to deputise, considering the long-term impact it might have on his confidence.
Thus, at the moment, Arsenal embody the ideal antidote of London taxis, wherein problems (or taxis) are cropping up thick and fast with no respite and more importantly, no palpable answer on the horizon.
#3 Kevin De Bruyne runs the show in midfield
In 2018-19, Manchester City held on to their crown by the skin of their teeth as they ultimately outwitted Liverpool by a solitary point. However, the most astonishing element of their title run-in was that Kevin De Bruyne, arguably the best player in their ranks, featured only intermittently.
And, as the current season crosses the half-way mark, one can’t help but wonder how the Sky Blues coped in his absence, especially considering the virtuoso performances he has been churning out. However, at the Emirates on Sunday, the Belgian even bettered his lofty standards as he kept the Arsenal side on strings throughout the encounter.
In the opening period, the midfielder got on the ball and orchestrated each attacking foray the visitors made. He got in between the lines superbly and caused the likes of Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi plenty of problems. Consequently, he found himself in several promising positions in the offensive third and portrayed the requisite craft and guile to conjure an end product.
Additionally, he kept the ball extremely efficiently and was also on hand to fulfil a few of his defensive responsibilities, although Arsenal didn’t particularly threaten a lot on that front. Over the past couple of seasons, there has been a consensus that De Bruyne finds himself in the legion of the most premier players in the world. Yet, with such performances, he is probably ensuring that he’s earmarking his name as probably the best of the lot below Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
And, if he keeps portraying such attributes on a football pitch, one wouldn’t put it past him to rival the aforementioned greats, over the course of the upcoming months.
#2 Gabriel Martinell a rare bright spot in a dreary day for Arsenal
For the second league game running, Freddie Ljungberg decided to hand Gabriel Martinelli a start. The Brazilian was fielded on the left side with Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang completing the front three. And, while those around Martinelli didn’t particularly cover themselves in any sort of glory, the youngster ensured that he returned with his head held higher than some of his more illustrious peers.
The Brazilian was a bundle of energy from the outset and showcased immense determination and drive to rampage past a couple of challenges in the opening minute and force Ederson into a save. Apart from that moment, the youngster was also a constant passing outlet for his midfielders and he controlled the ball adequately, more often than not.
Additionally, he was willing to track back and help out Saka when Kyle Walker ventured forward. Most impressively though, the Brazilian portrayed the stomach for a fight, something which wasn’t replicated by those around him. He wasn’t daunted by the prospect of facing the defending champions and conducted himself rather well.
In stark contrast, Aubameyang and Mesut Ozil cut frustrated figures with the latter in particular, being extremely woeful. In the summer, Martinelli was brought on board as Arsenal hoped to reintegrate the Brazilian import over the succeeding years. However, with each passing game, the youngster is displaying attributes that the North Londoners have been yearning for, meaning that he has suddenly cast himself as a vital cog of a rather floundering machine.
#1 Manchester City aren’t going away from the title race anytime soon
On the 14th of December, Liverpool punished a wasteful Watford side as the Reds extended their lead at the top of the table to 10 points, courtesy of Leicester’s stalemate against Norwich City. More crucially though, the Merseysiders had dodged a potential banana skin to put clear daylight between themselves and Manchester City.
Thus, the Cityzens took to the field on Sunday hoping to bite into an already burgeoning arrear, one which stood at 17 points. And, it would be fair to say that the Sky Blues did so rather emphatically.
The visitors looked up for the game from the opening whistle and displayed the cutting edge that had come a cropper against Manchester United a week ago. Moreover, they seemed to have regained their appetite as they hunted the ball in packs and recycled possession effectively. And, for the first time since the 26th of October against Aston Villa, they kept a clean sheet.
Subsequently, City sent out a signal to Liverpool indicating that they don't intend to surrender their title anytime soon. And, though only the most positive of optimists would bet for them to overcome a 14-point deficit, one can’t ignore that the Sky Blues are perhaps the only side in the world, let alone the Premier League capable of achieving such a feat.
