Home ›› 29 Aug 2021 ›› Sport
Manchester City rubbed salt into Arsenal wounds with a 5-0 thrashing on Saturday to inflict the Gunners’ worst start to a league season since 1954.
Mikel Arteta’s men have lost their first three league games and are yet to even score a goal with the pressure rising on the former City assistant manager’s job.
Arteta’s experimental selection and switch to a back three failed to halt a slick City attack that suggested they are more than capable of defending their Premier League title this season despite missing out on Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ilkay Gundogan opened the floodgates before Ferran Torres pounced on shocking Arsenal defending to double City’s lead inside 12 minutes. Arsenal’s task was made even harder when Granit Xhaka needlessly lunged at Joao Cancelo and was shown a straight red card. Gabriel Jesus made it 3-0 before half-time before Rodrigo and Torres with his second of the afternoon rounded off the scoring.
Even without the injured Kevin De Bruyne and with Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez on the bench, City showed the wealth of attacking options on offer to Pep Guardiola.
Martin Odegaard was the only new signing named in Arteta’s starting line-up and the selection of Sead Kolasinac, Rob Holding and Callum Chambers quickly backfired as the diminutive Gundogan outjumped Holding to head home the opener on seven minutes.
More shambolic defending allowed Torres to tap home the second from Cedric Soares’s sliced clearance.
Xhaka’s ill-discipline then left his side with no hope 10 minutes before half-time.
Against the 10 men, Jack Grealish had the space to show why City spent 100 million pounds on making him the most expensive player in Premier League history.
Grealish’s trickery left Chambers and Holding on the floor before squaring for Jesus to tap into an empty net.
City enjoyed a glorified training session after the break as Arsenal could barely get a touch. Rodrigo’s inch-perfect curling finish from long range made it 4-0. Guardiola introduced Sterling and Mahrez for the final half hour and it was from Mahrez’s perfect cross that Torres headed in off the post.
