Gunners are destroyed by record-breaking City
MANCHESTER CITY ripped up the record books along with Arsenal’s defence to notch another clinical Etihad win.
Goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus were more than enough to help Pep Guardiola’s side break the record for successive wins by an English club.
The latest triumph was City’s 15th on the bounce and saw them overtake the previous record of 14 held jointly by themselves, Preston and George Graham’s Gunners.
On this evidence it won’t be the last record Guardiola’s formidable outfit set as they continue their seemingly unstoppable assault on the Premier League title.
Alexandre Lacazette pulled one back for the Gunners with 25 minutes remaining but it was nothing more than a consolation.
Unbeaten
The scoreline flattered Arsene Wenger’s outfit with the hosts dominating from start to finish. The question remains – who can beat them?
City came into the game sky-high on confidence following an unbeaten start to the campaign.
Guardiola made two changes from the side that won so impressively at Napoli in the Champions League in midweek and recalled David Silva and Kyle Walker.
Wenger, meanwhile, knew what was coming and went with five at the back, including midfielder Francis Coquelin in the centre of his defensive wall.
It was Coquelin’s first Premier League start of the season and his job was to stop Aguero, who was recognised in a ceremony before kick-off for becoming the club’s greatest ever goalscorer. Coquelin’s inclusion was a bold call that backfired.
All it did was encourage Guardiola’s men to tear into the Gunners from the start.
The hosts could have gone ahead inside the opening two minutes when an Arsenal corner came to nothing and allowed City to break.
De Bruyne fed the jet-heeled Raheem Sterling, who charged forward before slipping the ball to Aguero, who sliced his shot wide.
City tore through Wenger’s defence again on 12 minutes when Aguero played in Leroy Sane – but his cross evaded Sterling when the slightest of touches would have found the net.
But a goal was coming and duly arrived on 19 minutes when De Bruyne beat Petr Cech with a superb low drive into the bottom corner after the Gunners goalkeeper had blocked his first effort.
It was City’s 50th goal of what is turning out to be a remarkable season – and spelled serious danger for Wenger. City should have doubled their lead on 34 minutes when Sterling beat the offside trap and had a free run on goal.
But with Sane completely unmarked to his left the England international couldn’t pick him out and produced a woeful ball to no one.
The closest the Gunners came to troubling City keeper Ederson was when Aaron Ramsey fired straight at him from close range on the stroke of half-time.
It was a woeful afternoon for Alexis Sanchez, who was doing anything but impress the manager who remains keen to sign him and will do so on a free transfer next summer.
Sloppy
It felt like the Chilean had joined City already considering he kept giving them the ball. He even started a couple of attacks for them with some sloppy passing.
Things went from bad to worse for the Gunners on 50 minutes when Nacho Monreal barged over Sterling to concede a penalty. Up stepped Aguero to beat Cech, making it 2-0.
City started showboating to mock the Gunners. It seemed a little premature when Wenger threw on Lacazette and the French ace pulled a goal back on 65 minutes.
Substitute Jesus restored the two-goal advantage and sealed the win despite huge appeals for offside in the build-up.