Arsenal may have lost the Premier League top-of-the-table clash, but Bukayo Saka still made Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson look like a "mug."
The Gunners star, 21, showed ice-cool nerves during Arsenal's 3-1 bruising defeat to slot home a first-half equaliser from the penalty spot, after City had taken an early lead through Kevin De Bruyne. Ederson did his best to put Saka off with some mind games, as the England international patiently waited for City's protests over referee Anthony Taylor 's hotly-debated decision to come to an end.
As Saka placed the way ball down 12 yards from goal, the Brazilian 'keeper shuffled across his line in an attempt to taunt the 21-year-old into shooting to his right. The confident Ederson continually pointed that way and left the other side open until Saka began his run-up.
Where would he shoot and score? Ederson's right, of course.
Saka's well-taken spot-kick left his opponent - who dived to his left - humiliated, as the Emirates erupted in celebration and enjoyed Arsenal getting back on level terms. Fans on social media also revelled in Ederson's misery, as one tweeted: "How big a mug did Saka make Ederson there?"
Another declared: "Ederson spent five minutes telling Saka where to score." "Ederson tried to call his bluff but Saka had his number," a third said before a fellow viewer added: "Ederson tried mind games but Saka got the best of him."
Unfortunately for the hosts, they couldn't build on their momentum and conceded second-half goals to Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland, who earned reigning champions City all three points. Arsenal were, even by the victors' admission, the better team in the first half and had themselves to blame for costly errors at both ends of the pitch.
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Now it's down to the Gunners to return to winning ways at Aston Villa on Saturday, having gone four games in all competitions without recording a victory. "We have to pick the points up because the performances are there," manager Mikel Arteta affirmed post-match.
"For sure what we've done today against this team, believe me, this wasn't the game that they wanted to play, but we wanted the points and we didn’t get them and, at the end, the games are decided in the boxes. We have given too much away today and we weren't ruthless enough to convert our chances and that’s where we have to improve.
"Psychologically there is a marathon still, so psychologically there is very far to go. I said it at the start, I said it three months ago and I say it today, it's about tomorrow and the most important thing is how we are tomorrow and focus on that, because the rest of the things, we don't know what's going to happen."
