Gunners no match for City, Liverpool stroll
All that’s changed for Arsenal fans is that they can no longer blame Arsene Wenger.
And Unai Emery will be relieved he doesn’t have to come up against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City every week.
City rarely looked troubled by Arsenal as the champions opened their English Premier League title defence with a 2-0 victory yesterday. Raheem Sterling cut through the defence with ease before putting City ahead in the 14th minute, and Bernardo Silva curled in the second in the 64th at the Emirates Stadium.
It was the first time since 1996 that Arsenal have opened a season without Wenger in charge. The ‘‘Merci
Arsene’’ banner was the only indication that it has been a summer of transition at the north London club since Wenger was pushed toward resigning after 22 years in charge.
Catching City isn’t the immediate target for the
Gunners, who last won the title in 2004. It’s just about returning to the top four – to qualify for the
Champions League – after slumping to sixth in
Wenger’s final campaign.
Emery now has a clear sense of the task he faces, throwing his arms in the air in frustration as the goals were conceded.
Meanwhile, Liverpool signalled their determination to challenge for the title by spending more than £170 million on players, more than any other Premier League team in the summer transfer window.
With debuts for Alisson in goal and Naby Keita in midfield, Liverpool opened with a 4-0 victory over West Ham. Mohamed Salah, who scored 44 times in his first season at Liverpool, took only 19 minutes to get off the mark at Anfield by meeting Andrew Robertson’s cross with a tap-in.
Another cross from Robertson opened up West Ham for Liverpool’s second in first-half stoppage time. James Milner’s cutback was turned into the net by Sadio Mane, who added a third eight minutes after the break.
Even after Salah was taken off, the Egyptian’s replacement, Daniel Sturridge, found the net late.
In the other match played yesterday, Southampton and Burnley drew 0-0.