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It has been six years since Manchester City lost a league game to Arsenal, and that record will remain intact for now following Saturday’s comfortable win over the latter.
Pep Guardiola and his charges were always favorites but the Gunners made it too easy for them. Playing in front of a full Etihad stadium for the first time in over a year, the home team delivered on all levels.
The same cannot be said for Mikel Arteta’s side, who self-destructed by displaying the kind of comical defending that has become synonymous with the club under the Spanish manager.
Matches between Arsenal and Manchester City used to be competitive but the Cityzens have been overly dominant against the north London outfit in recent seasons, and Saturday’s game was no different.
Manchester City tear Gunners apart
The cameras kept on zooming, rather embarrassingly, into Arteta’s face as the goals painfully flowed into Arsenal’s net until the final scoreline was 5-0.
It's completely normal when Guardiola’s side beats Norwich City 5-0, but it’s totally unacceptable when a supposed big team like Arsenal is on the receiving end of such a drubbing.
Ilkay Gundogan was surprisingly left unmarked to head home the opener, before another terrible piece of defending from Arsenal allowed Ferran Torres the time and space to make it 2-0.
The Gunners had no answers to Manchester City’s free-flowing football and movement and things went from bad to worse when Granit Xhaka was sent off for a reckless tackle midway through the first half.
Gabriel Jesus, Rodri and Torres added further goals to seal an emphatic result for Manchester City. It was a walk in the park for the Cityzens.
Cityzens still ruthless despite missing out on Ronaldo and Kane
Manchester City tried very hard to sign Harry Kane this summer but Tottenham refused to entertain them. Guardiola’s side also saw a move for Cristiano Ronaldo fall through at the last minute.
Despite lacking an out-and-out striker in the squad, Manchester City have shown no signs of slowing down and remain ruthless in front of goal.
Their 5-0 victory over Arsenal is further proof that the Cityzens do not need Kane or Ronaldo to take their opponents to the cleaners.
"We found the goals and after the sending off from Xhaka... it was more difficult for the opponent and easier for us,” Guardiola said after the game, as quoted by Sky Sports.
"We know in the past that Mikel [Arteta] plays almost man to man, but after that we were able to drop them and after that our position was good and after 2-0, when they play with 10 men, it was another game.
"So we get another goal, we respect the opponent and what they have to do, and we get the victory.”
Manchester City have now scored 10 goals in their last two matches without conceding any. Surely this is not a team that is missing a Kane or Ronaldo.
