GUNNERS LUIZ TO SLICK CITY
MAN CITY ......... 3 ARSENAL ......... 0
ANDY DUNN AT THE ETIHAD
KEVIN DE BRUYNE was majestic, David Luiz a liability, Pep Guardiola a ball of animation, Mesut Ozil missing, Raheem Sterling’s name in lights.
New football, same old Manchester City and Arsenal.
With De Bruyne in the midfield director’s chair, moving colleagues and opponents around as if they were movie extras, this was familiar stuff from City.
Arsenal brought back Scotland ace Kieran Tierney – injured for months before the lockdown – and had the former Celtic left back in from the start. Unfortunately for the Gunners they had to suffer familiar stuff from Luiz.
Boss Mikel Arteta had said he would love 33-year-old Luiz to sign a new contract at the Emirates, hailing him as a ‘key role model’.
Well you would not bank on those Arsenal executives putting together a meaty new deal.
Had Luiz not intervened in typical fashion, City would doubtless have prevailed anyway, mainly because De Bruyne took all of a few minutes to settle back into his routine.
You know three months between games has taken its toll when De Bruyne fails to pass from A to B, as he did on a couple of early occasions.
But that was a brief postshutdown aberration. He came closest to scoring but Bernd Leno’s save was what would you expect rather than applaud. Likewise when Sterling cut in from the left, likewise when David Silva stabbed goalwards. The odds were not so much in the goalkeeper’s favour when De Bruyne’s deliciousness teed up Riyad Mahrez and Sterling but the former put his effort straight at Leno and the latter lifted his over the bar.
Frustrated by his colleagues wasting his wares, maybe De Bruyne thought he might have more joy giving it to Luiz, on as a replacement for Pablo Mari.
If so, De Bruyne was proven correct. Luiz should have dealt with the Belgian’s bending pass but allowed it to hit his thigh and balloon gently into Sterling’s path and he lashed past Leno.
The goal, the first in the Premier League for 100 days, was no local classic but this was typically, technically-pleasing City.
There is, though, no getting away from the fact Guardiola and his team were the beneficiaries of a Luiz shocker.
He looked favourite to intercept a headed flick-on but dallied as Mahrez nipped in and pulled the City man to the ground.
Mahrez had been closing in on goal and Anthony Taylor produced instant red.
Luiz was still trudging around the pitch’s perimeter when De Bruyne passed the penalty home.
After putting the outcome of this match beyond doubt early in the second half, De Bruyne had certainly done enough to have an early night.
His was one of a blizzard of withdrawals as both Guardiola and Arteta – although his hand was mostly forced – took full advantage of being able to change half the outfield team.
Luiz’s daftness and De Bruyne’s and City’s slickness were on show with Foden notching a late strike after Aguero had hit the post.
Eric Garcia copped a sickening injury when Ederson flattened his team-mate late on.
And boss Guardiola said: “We are really concerned about Eric. He responded well but we have to wait. He is conscious at least.”