Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne has explained how a tactical tweak allowed the Premier League title challengers to brush Arsenal aside on Wednesday night.
De Bruyne scored twice in a 4-1 win which leaves City just two points behind the Gunners with two games in hand. Erling Haaland and John Stones also netted for the hosts, with Rob Holding scoring Arsenal's goal.
The result means City have beaten Arsenal three times this season - twice in the league and once during their run to the FA Cup final. After the victory, De Bruyne explained how a pre-match plan helped Pep Guardiola's team come out on top and hand the Gunners a first league defeat since February 15.
"The way that Arsenal press the opposition is top, it's class," De Bruyne told Peacock. "It's almost impossible to play from the back, especially when its a goal kick - it's like a set piece, and we know we had to play longer today and we tried a couple of things in training.
"I tried to get a little bit deeper and then tried to run off Erling when he kept the ball, and I think we found that a couple of times. I think in the first half we created some chances this way, and it was important to set the tone.
"Normally we play with two number eights and I think he [Guardiola] wanted a little bit more control because of the way they press. So Gundo [Ilkay Gundogan] would be a double six and I had to choose more the moments, depending on who presses out of Xhaka and Partey - if Partey was pressing I would try to go on his back and the other way round, and it was difficult for [Rob] Holding and Gabriel
"[They had to decide] do they have to go with me or are they staying with Erling. I couldn't find the moments in the first half, and obviously they switched a little bit in the second half, but I was a little more free today."
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Manchester City can move to the top of the table on Sunday with a win at Fulham. Arsenal return to action two days later against Chelsea, but the first of City's two games in hand sees them host West Ham just 24 hours later.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted City's fast start harmed his team's chances, with De Bruyne opening the scoring inside 10 minutes. "We wanted to tweak a few things but they were able to execute and scored an early goal," he said.
"You have to understand where we’re coming from, we have to be loyal to what has brought us all this way. We’ve done it in the past in different ways and that doesn’t guarantee you anything. It’s time to look in the mirror at what we could have done better - I’m the first one - and go into the next game."
