The Arsenal ruled the Premier League champions at Emirates Stadium, surpassing Manchester City 5-1 at the tension in Liverpool in the most sensible table.
The appearance of Mikel Arteta took the main advantage of two minutes through Martin Odegaard before Erling Haaland equalized with a header of beating at the beginning of the moment when half of the city only points for approximately one minute, however, however, before Thomas Partyo restored the advantage of Arsenal.
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From then, the home side were in total control. Impressive 18-year-old full-back Myles Lewis-Skelly and forward Kai Havertz added more goals, before an outstanding curling strike from 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri, on as a substitute, added further gloss in stoppage time.
Arsenal are six problems of the Liverpool leaders, who have a adjustment in hand, while this defeat leaves City in fourth, 15 problems at the pace of the name and before Newcastle United’s fifth position only in the objectives obtained.
James Mcnicholas, Sam Lee and Thom Harris analyze the main points . . .
In September, Arteta gave Lewis-Skelly his senior debut when those two groups met at the opposite accessory at the Etihad stadium. It was a great religion of the manager in Lewis-Skelly, especially of the age of 17, especially because he had already reserved that day to urge David Raya to injure himself behind the purpose of the Spanish while he is heated.
Since then, Lewis-Skelly has gone from strength to strength. For this game, Arteta decided on him before £42 million ($52 million at existing rates) to indicate Riccardo Calafiori. After scoring Arsenal’s third goal, he cut inside before doubling the ball with his weakest. Right foot, it will be difficult to move. The crowd at the Emirates Stadium has a new hero.
He also joined the enthusiasts through the reproduction of the Meditation of Meditation of Haaland, a reminder of a brief inflammation point between the Norwegian striker and Lewis-Skelly this 2-2 draw in Manchester.
The emergence of Lewis-Skelly and fellow academy product Nwaneri has been one of the positives of Arsenal’s season. Nwaneri even found time to put the icing on the cake with his second gorgeous goal of the week to make it 5-1.
James McNicholas
With Stefan Ortega’s perilous pass to Mateo Kovacic midway through the first half presenting Havertz with a gilt-edged chance, City reached a bleak landmark in north London.
It was his number 23 that led to an opposition shot in the Premier League 2024-25, even with 14 games to play, is more than what each of their 10 past seasons made. (Temporarily 24, with a capricious party by Phil Foden Ball through the party, at the time of the moment, of which the arsenal midfielder marked to make the hosts).
The series is nothing we’ve never noticed before, a carbon copy of what athletics described as soccer’s maximum damaging pass in December, but Ortega fell straight into the trap. His short pass and Kovacic, not for the first time in the first half, Dreed, exhausted.
Aside from the apparent risks, the city’s technique for collecting all of today’s play was rarely creative enough to get to the bottom of Arsenal’s defensive form. Matheus Nunes pushing from a back role meant City shaped a back 3 on the ball, with Kovacic occasionally the only option to progress the ball in the middle. This forced them to pass widely, but disappeared into Nunes sometimes returned immediately. On the contrary, Savinho fought for space.
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This helped when the city attacked the fields of the city fell more deeply, however, the new Omar Marmoush firm was lazy in property with the return to the goal. When City was able to cover the ball to Foden, they had difficulty accelerating speed and moving with him in the third attacker, which means he had to return.
With the champions still so fragile in their defensive third, errors in possession are the last thing they need. But an inability to consistently find their way through the first two lines of pressure is just as damaging to their struggles to control such big games.
Thom Harris
In some aspects, this Hvertz has demonstrated the complexity of the situation of the Arsenal attacker.
The most important theme of discussion of the first half, apart from Odegaard’s first goal, the possibility of making 2-0 that Havertz returned.
It is possible that Arsenal has a more clinical N ° 9. it it is remarkable that, in Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, they ended with two contraders who have a non -unusual percentage and weakness: the auction.
With Jesus now sidelined, Arsenal have spent much of the winter window chasing a new centre-forward. Their attempt to sign Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa has seemingly failed, they now have just over 24 hours to try to fill that vacancy before tomorrow’s 11pm (6pm ET) deadline.
What’s curious is that, even if Arsenal manage to win an attacker before the window closes, the new guy will find it difficult to dislodge Hvertz from the team. Despite all the attention on this missed opportunity, the German continues to tick all the boxes that Arta needs possession first. His urgency and body give a contribution to the design of the equipment.
And yet in the second half, when a more difficult opportunity to score came his way, Havertz finished with aplomb. His finishing is inconsistent, but many other aspects of his play are reliable.
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Everyone agrees Arsenal need a striker. But can Arteta find one in the next few hours who he’ll value more than Havertz? That’s more difficult to say.
James McNicholas
There were the bones of a good City performance here, considering the issues they have had this season, but the errors that Thom Harris mentions above derailed any hopes of getting something out of this.
This pass from Foden straight to the party was the genuine killer of the city, granting purpose so early and if to a lessening of the load after returning to the setting at 1-1, Foden’s play his role, he actually got rid of the wind from his sails. It’s hard to look at mistakes like this without spotting the wider context of their uneven form since November: this race, which has been moving forward a bit lately, have synths to make things worse on their own, even if things are good.
The most famous example was against Feyenoord in the Champions League, when they were three goals up with 15 minutes to go but drew 3-3, something that destroyed confidence. Even as results have picked up recently, they threw away a 2-0 lead at Brentford to draw 2-2 and a 2-0 lead at Paris Saint-Germain, again in Europe, to lose 4-2. They are conceding goals like never before under Pep Guardiola (illustrated below).
Players continue to fight and continue to review to play the kind of football that would take them to the top, however, this habit of individual mistakes (and goals admitted to immediate ownership) thwarted any chance of progression.
Today, the city has to dig holes for themselves.
Sam Lee
After his “humble stay” to Arsenal players after that 2-2 draw in September, Haaland had the weight of the arrogance of the house fans on Sunday.
Given what happened the game, in terms of celebrations and songs, Norwegian’s point was probably very well, but when you make a comment like this, you must expect your own form to be in order.
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For a couple of months at the end of last year, with Haaland struggling to score as City’s form nosedived, the backlash was hard to complain about. Here, though, he more or less did what he could. Sure, Arsenal’s centre-backs did pick his pocket a couple of times, but his equaliser on 55 minutes gave City hope, only for those further down the pitch to undo his positive contribution again.
Haaland generally lives and dies by the service he gets, and often these days that is lacking. Today he did the business and could only watch on as mistakes from team-mates squandered his good work.
However, Arsenal enthusiasts will appreciate the fall of their city and beyond.
Sam Lee
It turned into a cathartic early evening for Arsenal as the cries of “Olé!” rang around the Emirates with their three-goal lead intact. And then they added another.
In addition to the needles surrounding Haaland, Gabriel and Arteta, it is the first time that Arsenal scored five opposites to City since February 2003, and a fourth champion fits the highest category.
Today’s result sees City win a fifth straight title but maintains the chances of its first arsenal since 2003-2004.
Confidence that this win will give them underestimation and, with two group games in the last six to come in their next two games champions in the division in 16 games.
All they can do is what City has done to them in past seasons, in contact with management.
Thom Harris
We will bring you that after speaking at your press conference after the game.
We will bring you this after your press conference after the game.
Wednesday, February 5: Newcastle (Away), Carabao Cup in the semifinal on stage, 8 p. m. In the United Kingdom, 3 p. m.
Saturday, February 8: Leyton Orient (Away), FA Cup fourth round, 12.15pm UK, 7.15am ET