Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal: 5 Hits and Flops as Sterling strike secures all three points for Cityzens | Premier League 2020-21

Manchester City beat Arsenal 1-0
Manchester City beat Arsenal 1-0

Arsenal headed into this fixture with the odds against them. The Gunners had failed to beat Manchester City in their last nine Premier League matches and the last time they won at the Etihad Stadium was in January 2015.

Minutes before kick-off, Mikel Arteta's side was forced to replace Rob Holding with David Luiz after the former hurt his hamstring during the warm-up. Luiz had a game to forget the previous time he played at the Etihad Stadium and in this evening's game, he almost scored an own goal in the second half of the match.

Pep Guardiola's side started as the stronger team and their hard work paid off when Raheem Sterling capitalised on a defensive mistake from the Gunners. His goal in the first-half was ultimately the only goal of the match as Arsenal failed to equalise. Here's a look at five hits and flops from the match.


#5 Flop - Bernd Leno (Arsenal)

Leno's save fell straight into Raheem Sterling's path
Leno's save fell straight into Raheem Sterling's path

Bernd Leno could have done much better to prevent City's opener in the first half. The German keeper punched away an effort by Phil Foden only for the ball to fall at Raheem Sterling's feet. The Manchester City forward made no mistake from close range and broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute.

It's not the first time the 28-year-old keeper has made such a mistake and his tendency to punch instead of catching the ball is costing Arsenal. As compared to Ederson, who had made crucial saves to deny Bukayo Saka and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the first half, Leno paled in comparison.

Besides his poor clearance, the German's decision to play short passes to his defenders also resulted in trouble on a few occasions. Throughout the first 45 minutes, the Cityzens played with a high line given all the possession they had and Leno should have known better rather than sticking to playing out from the back.


#4 Hit - Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)

Sterling scored the match-winner for Manchester City.
Sterling scored the match-winner for Manchester City.

In the absence of Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling continues to excel and even netted the match-winner for his team. The forward was initially a doubt after pulling out of the England squad due to a hamstring problem.

Despite injury concerns, Sterling started alongside Sergio Aguero as well as Riyad Mahrez and got the job done this afternoon. During the second half, the away team seemed more dominant and had more shots than Manchester City. While Sterling was starved of possession, he remained alert throughout the game and came close to doubling the lead.

However, that only goal from him was sufficient for Manchester City to secure all three points and Sterling now has four goals in six appearances against Arsenal. With this victory, the Cityzens are now 10th in the Premier League table standings and Arsenal remain fifth.


#3 Flop - Video Assistant Referee

Kyle Walker's high-footed challenge on Gabriel
Kyle Walker's high-footed challenge on Gabriel

The video assistant referee (VAR) was already thrown into the spotlight following the Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park where Jordan Pickford could have been sent off for a reckless tackle on Virgil van Dijk.

Just before the half-time whistle was blown, the VAR baffled Arsenal fans after a high-foot by Kyle Walker on Gabriel in City's penalty box was not reviewed. Earlier in the day, a similar challenge by Andre Gomes on Sadio Mane warranted a yellow card and a free-kick. It was clear that there could have been a possible foul on the Arsenal defender and VAR should have at least reviewed the case.

Speaking on whether the incident could have resulted in a penalty for the North Londoners, former Arsenal player Sol Campbell commented:

"I think it is. I've seen them given. I think the players should have complained a little bit more."

#2 Hit - Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

Saka was a joy to watch
Saka was a joy to watch

Fresh from his first international action for Gareth Southgate's team, Bukayo Saka impressed in this huge fixture. The 19-year-old midfielder created all sorts of trouble for Rodri and Kyle Walker down the left flank, and even came close to scoring an equaliser for the Gunners.

In Arsenal's lacklustre display today, Saka was the only bright spark. His constant threat on the counter earned the Gunners a couple of free-kicks in dangerous positions. Disappointingly, Mikel Arteta's side was unable to take advantage of them.


#1 Flop - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal)

Aubameyang has only scored once in the last five games
Aubameyang has only scored once in the last five games

While Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Mohamed Salah are busy scoring goals, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang appears to be suffering from a goal drought. The Arsenal captain last scored on the opening matchday against Fulham and since then, he has not been on the scoresheet.

In a game where the Gunners had a couple of decent chances to level things up, Aubameyang failed to live up to his pedigree. The Gabosnese international's efforts either went wide or straight to Ederson.

His failure to test Ederson sufficiently meant that his team finished the game without a goal. As the captain, the 31-year-old has got to do much better in order for Arsenal to compete for the top four.

Throughout the match, the away home looked devoid of ideas and hardly found penetrating passes to split Manchester City's defence. Among the top eight clubs in the table standings, Arsenal have scored the fewest goals (8) and perhaps, it is time for Arteta to get a creative game-changer like Mesut Ozil on to the field.


Also Read: Everton 2 - 2 Liverpool: 5 talking points as Merseyside Derby ends in another draw | Premier League 2020-21

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Edited by S Chowdhury