Soccer

Manchester City take control of title race proving four too good for Arsenal

City were remorseless from the first whistle, an irresistible blend of pace, power and cohesion

Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne celebrates scoring his side's first goal against Arsenal. Photograph: PA

David Hytner
Wed Apr 26 2023 - 22:20

Manchester City 4 Arsenal 1

When Kevin De Bruyne made it 3-0 early in the second half, his second goal of the evening an almost casual finish, there were four Arsenal players in the vicinity who bent forward at the waist, utterly broken, simply wanting to take on a bit of oxygen. This is what it feels like to run into a juggernaut.

City were remorseless from the first whistle, an irresistible blend of pace, power and cohesion, intent on making it plain to the pretenders to their Premier League throne that they are in no mood to stand down.

Mikel Arteta had said beforehand his Arsenal team had to win to remain in contention. They had drawn their previous three matches, the last two against West Ham and Southampton prompting harsh questions about their ability to handle the pressure.

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To be clear – Arsenal have not bottled it. They have defied expectations to have an excellent season. They are just not on the same level as City, particularly in this kind of mood. Nobody is, perhaps in the whole of Europe. No club has their talent or the depth of it.

It was a night when Erling Haaland ran riot, scaring the life out of those in red – adding a late fourth from an assist from the substitute, Phil Foden – De Bruyne stepped up and yet it was possible to praise every player in sky blue. Rob Holding’s late goal was a hollow consolation. It is now 17 matches for City in all competitions without defeat, 14 of them wins – and two of the draws not affecting Champions League progress. They have now won 12 straight against Arsenal in the league. They look unstoppable.

Arteta made it clear that the tension and opportunity were there to be embraced but there was only one team that did so at the outset, City simply tearing into Arsenal. There was a desire to press their opponents high, to run hard at them and in straight lines, as well, Ilkay Gündogan carrying one ball 40 yards at the outset and not encountering much resistance. When De Bruyne did likewise shortly afterwards, City were on their way to the opener.

It was too easy, Haaland addressing a high ball with Holding at his back, taking a touch and turning it round the corner for De Bruyne, who was already into his stride. He veered to the right of centre, around Gabriel Magalhães, and the shot was on from just outside the area, De Bruyne guiding it confidently past Aaron Ramsdale.

It was a breathtaking start. In fact, City were like that all the way to John Stones’s goal in first-half stoppage time, a free header from De Bruyne’s floated free-kick, the VAR stepping in to advise that the centre-half was onside, played that way by the boot of Ben White on the far side.

City teemed with intensity, nobody more so than Pep Guardiola. He was on the pitch, incandescent, gesturing at the officials after Bernardo Silva had been penalised for a 12th-minute trip on Granit Xhaka. The City manager lived every moment, the nervous energy rushing through him. He had wanted an early penalty when Thomas Partey moved to protect the ball and, in the process, blocked De Bruyne from shooting. De Bruyne kicked him and went over. The non-award was correct.

There was one moment before the half-hour when Arsenal worked a long pass up the channel for Bukayo Saka and Guardiola, both knees on the turf, began to hammer the ground with his fist. He perked up when Jack Grealish got back to tackle and it was an extremely isolated Arsenal forward thrust in the first half. They could not get out, City flooding men around them, suffocating them.

Haaland was frightening to watch from the press box and so goodness knows what it was like for Holding and Magalhães. He had too much strength for them, which was a big problem. But he was too quick, as well, which made him virtually unplayable. At times, he seemed to bulldoze through them.

How Haaland did not score before the interval was a mystery. He had four good chances, three of them kept out by Ramsdale and smartly, too; the other was banged wide after a surge in which he tormented Magalhães. De Bruyne also saw an effort blocked by White on 27 minutes.

City had entered as the hot favourites and perhaps that was why Guardiola mentioned his fear of an Arsenal backlash after their recent run in the build-up – to stress the need for focus. He had nothing to worry about in terms of the attitude of his players.

How could Arteta turn the tide in the second half? It was a thankless task. Partey had bent a shot wide in the 35th minute – Ederson looked to have it covered – and that had been it for the visitors before the interval. City were robust at the back, Guardiola’s selection of Kyle Walker at right-back bringing enviable pace on the cover. Manuel Akanji filled in at left-back for the injured Nathan Aké. There appeared to be no weaknesses.

City did not need any help but they got a bit when Martin Ødegaard left a pass short on 54 minutes, too close to Haaland, and everybody knew what that meant.

He gobbled up the ball and barrelled off towards goal. Moments earlier, he had been denied one on one by Ramsdale. Now he played a pass to De Bruyne on the overlap and the Belgian stroked the ball through Holding’s legs towards the bottom corner. – Guardian

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