Manchester City knocked Arsenal off its Premier League perch as second-half targets by Jack Grealish, and Erling Haaland earned the champion a 3-1 victory in a feisty top-of-the-table conflict at The Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.
Arsenal had come from a purpose down and seemed able to ending a 10-game shedding streak within the league towards City, however it finally got here up brief as its hopes of a primary league title since 2004 suffered a setback.
Arsenal hit again strongly after Kevin de Bruyne’s Twenty fourth-minute opener and was deservedly stage at halftime because of a well-taken Bukayo Saka penalty.
But it struggled to take care of the depth after the break and hardly helped itself with a succession of errors.
City had a penalty overturned by VAR however took the lead when Grealish fired his third league purpose of the season within the 72nd minute.
Haaland, an damage doubt forward of the sport, then netted his twenty sixth league purpose of the marketing campaign to silence the house crowd and begin the celebrations among the many City devoted.
Pep Guardiola’s City has 51 factors, the identical as Arsenal however with a far superior purpose distinction.
Arsenal’s first dwelling defeat of the season felt like a large second within the title race and will nicely show to be so, though, with a recreation in hand, it’s nonetheless very a lot in competition.
After choosing up just one level from their final three video games, nonetheless, it must regain its momentum quickly.
Arsenal supervisor Mikel Arteta sprung a shock by dropping proper again Ben White in favour of Takehiro Tomiyasu and the skilled Jorginho got here in for the injured Thomas Partey for his first begin since arriving from Chelsea.
WOEFUL PASS
Arteta’s choice blew up in his face as Japan worldwide Tomiyasu was pressured right into a woeful again move by Grealish and De Bruyne seized on it earlier than dispatching a silky lobbed end over a stranded Aaron Ramsdale.
Far from knocking the stuffing out of Arsenal, nonetheless, the host responded by seizing management in midfield as City seemed flustered and bizarrely appeared intent on losing time.
Tomiyasu volleyed an opportunity over, and Saka had one other alternative however delayed his shot too lengthy.
In the thirty ninth minute, Eddie Nketiah, who earlier had headed an opportunity vast, was performed via and lifted a shot goalwards simply earlier than being clattered by City’s keeper Ederson.
Nathan Ake hooked the ball off the road, however referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot for Ederson’s foul, and Saka tucked his penalty previous the Brazilian.
City virtually regained the lead in first-half stoppage time when Ruben Dias’s header was flicked onto the crossbar by Ake.
Arsenal misplaced the plot after the break and had a let-off when City was awarded a penalty after Gabriel pulled again Haaland within the space, however a VAR verify dominated the Norwegian was offside.
Nketiah was inches away from giving Arsenal the lead when he slid in to attempt to join with a low cross whereas Haaland was denied by Ramsdale after a mistake by former City defender Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Arsenal saved inviting hassle, although, and when Gabriel obtained caught on the sting of his penalty space, Haaland’s move reached Grealish, who fired previous Ramsdale.
This time there was no response from Arsenal, and Haaland sealed victory with a sometimes ruthless end eight minutes from time.
Source: sportstar.thehindu.com