Manchester City were impressive in a victory that ensures Liverpool cannot break their 30-year title drought by beating Everton on Sunday. The only blot on the display was a nasty injury late on to Eric García, after he collided at speed with Ederson, the keeper rushing out of area to head a through-ball away. The game was delayed for some time before García was taken off on a stretcher.
This performance was decorated by an imperious Kevin De Bruyne and, after the three-month coronavirus-induced pause, suggests Pep Guardiola’s team can be optimistic about retaining the FA Cup and their tilt at a first Champions League glory.
Arsenal, though, look what they patently are: a work in progress under their relatively new manager, Mikel Arteta, who will lament David Luiz’s mistakes that led to City’s first two goals.
There was hilarity when the PA announcer had stated: “Please welcome the Arsenal goalkeepers for their warm-up.” This was followed by a sheepish wave from them and sheepish applause from the watching media corps: a moment to sum up the quasi-surreal atmosphere.
Guardiola paired a fit-again Aymeric Laporte with García, who was making his fourth league start. Sergio Agüero, City’s all-time leading scorer was a substitute, as was Leroy Sané, involved for the first time since August following a knee injury.
Arteta’s headline choice was the dropping of Mesut Özil from his XI, the German not even one of the nine substitutes.
Before kick-off rain poured down hard and all 22 players plus officials took a knee. City nearly had the perfect start – De Bruyne forcing Bernd Leno to tip over from a free kick after the lively Raheem Sterling was fouled.
Granit Xhaka now endured a nightmare resumption to the season – having to be replaced, the damage seeming to occur in a collision with his team-mate Matteo Guendouzi. This meant Dani Ceballos was on with eight minutes gone and Arteta had used one of the three allotted substitution windows.
If the tempo of the contest was stop-start, the quality – certainly from City – improved as the half went on. Eddie Nketiah had an opening chance for Arsenal but the striker failed to take advantage when close to the goalkeeper.
Kyle Walker had a similar problem after leaving Pablo Marí a spectator via his pace: the right-back turned the ball back into the Arsenal area and missed all of his teammates.
Sadly for Marí he was the next to be forced off after pulling up sharply when chasing back – David Luiz his replacement on 24 minutes – and this meant Arsenal had only one more opportunity for changes.
When De Bruyne failed to find Riyad Mahrez along the right an agonised Guardiola “ooh” could be clearly heard and as the half-hour passed it meant 120 minutes and zero goals following the 0-0 draw in the day’s opening match at Villa Park. Sterling came closest to ending this when nipping in from the left and hitting a curving shot Leno did well to steer out in a warning City were approaching high gear.
David Silva then found De Bruyne who found Mahrez and again Leno had to beat the ball away.
Sterling had not scored since December but, now, he did register – on the stroke of half-time. Walker found De Bruyne down the right and he flipped the ball towards Sterling. A classic David Luiz mis-kick allowed Sterling in and he smashed home his 12th league goal of the season.
This put City firmly in control and the sense was that with a second goal Arsenal would surely be sunk. They were yet to discover any real, compelling rhythm and when City instantly occupied their territory it did not augur well.
At the base of midfield Ilkay Gündogan was able to hit balls left and right to Benjamin Mendy, Silva, De Bruyne and Mahrez and when David Luiz pulled down the latter inside the area a double-whammy followed. Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot, then produced the red card. Off wandered the Brazilian and in went the penalty – De Bruyne hitting it to his right as Leno guessed wrong, diving the other way.
From the restart City showed a ruthlessness that will have pleased Guardiola. Sterling snapped at Shkodran Mustafi and brought the defender down with a scream. Taylor was not interested in a booking and Mustafi could continue, but it felt a long way back for the visitors. The sight of Sané, Agüero and Rodrigo warming up will hardly have cheered Arsenal, who were in danger of drifting into damage-limitation mode.
City were cruising. De Bruyne skated in from the right and unluckily slipped. Sterling and Silva combined and Walker should have been put in down the right. De Bruyne – as irrepressible as he can be – was pulling strings only he can locate with clever passes or a glide past an opponent made to look static.
City continued to steamroller Arsenal until final whistle and Guardiola was able to take off De Bruyne and also protect Laporte, following his injury-disrupted season.
García’s injury meant there was 11 added minutes and in the first of those substitute Phil Foden slotted home the third for City
Burnley will not relish their trip here on Monday. Now, all eyes move to the Merseyside derby.
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