Arsenal errors gifted Man City two goals at the Emirates
(Picture: REUTERS)Manchester City are the new Premier League leaders and Arsenal only have themselves to blame.
For large parts of this game, Mikel Arteta’s side went toe-to-toe with City but in the end individual errors cost them dear.
They gifted City two of their three goals in this 3-1 win and you simply can’t do that against the reigning champions.
Pep Guardiola’s side are now back top of the table by virtue of goal difference. Arsenal have a game in hand, but the momentum in this title race is most certainly with City.
It could so easily have been with Mikel Arteta’s side, though, as they held their own for a lot of this match.
Especially in the first-half they managed to out-play City and it was only due to a loose back-pass that Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring.
Saka levelled with a penalty, but again an individual error undid Arsenal’s good work as Gabriel gave the ball away and Jack Grealish made it 2-1. By the time Erling Haaland added a third with eight minutes to go, it was game over.
The challenge for Arteta now is making sure Arsenal respond, starting at Aston Villa on Saturday lunchtime. The Spaniard will look to draw on the positives of this game and he can point to the start of it.
Arteta asked for the Arsenal fans to bring the noise and he certainly got that. Right from the off, Emirates Stadium was the loudest it has been all season and the players fed off it.
The game was played at a frantic pace, with Arsenal looking to get the ball out wide. City, in contrast, were happy to go direct and feed Haaland early.
It was Eddie Nketiah, though, who had the first chance midway through the first-half. Oleksandr Zinchenko picked him out with a perfect cross, but the Arsenal striker could only head the ball wide from eight yards out.
It was a golden chance and the Gunners were punished for missing it only minutes later. Takehiro Toimiyasu under hit a back-pass to Aaron Ramsdale, and De Bruyne pounced. The Belgian still had plenty to do, however he effortlessly lofted the ball over the goalkeeper and into the net with a first time effort from outside the box.In the past, such an error would have seen Arsenal collapse.
This, however, is a different team and they responded well. They had 60 per cent possession during the first-half and were rewarded for their domination three minutes before the break.
Nketiah raced onto a through-ball, but he was brought down by Ederson with his shot trickling towards the goal. City protested, however referee Anthony Taylor pointed towards the spot. Saka made no mistake.
The game was so finely balanced and the second-half was played in chaotic fashion. It was stop-start due to constant fouls and niggles, with the momentum swinging both ways.
City thought they had penalty when Haaland was hauled down by Gabriel, but VAR came to Arsenal’s rescue and revealed the Norwegian was offside. Up the other end, the Gunners had a chance to take the lead minutes later but Nketiah couldn’t get a toe on Tomiyasu’s cross.
Mistakes were creeping into Arsenal’s game as the match ticked into the final 20 minutes and once again they were punished for an individual error.
This time it was Gabriel who gave the ball and City pounced in fluid fashion, with Grealish firing a deflected shot past Ramsdale. That goal knocked the stuffing out of the Emirates, which had been so loud in the early stages.
Arsenal’s heads dropped and soon enough City had a third courtesy of Haaland.
This time there was, at least for the Gunners, no individual errors involved. Instead, De Bruyne picked out Haaland, who controlled it with one touch and finished with the other.
At the other end, Arsenal had one more late opportunity as Nketiah headed wide from a Saka cross. It was miss that summed up both his and the Gunners’ night.
