Man City’s comfortable win over new-look Arsenal
▶ Manager pleased with side’s performance after their convincing 2-0 victory at Arsenal yesterday
Manchester City laid down a marker to their title rivals with a comfortable 2-0 win against Arsenal, prompting manager Pep Guardiola to claim he was “privileged” to manage the Premier League champions.
With rivals Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool all winning their opening Premier League matches across the weekend – the latter by a 4-0 margin over West Ham United in yesterday’s early kick off – it was City’s turn to fire a reminder – as if one was needed – of their own title credentials.
Riyad Mahrez, the £60 million (Dh281m) summer recruit from Leicester City, was handed a first Premier League start on the right of a front three for the champions in place of Leroy Sane.
Playmaker Kevin de Bruyne and striker Gabriel Jesus were also on the bench following their World Cup exploits with Belgium and Brazil, respectively.
When asked if City had fashioned a perfect performance, Guardiolan told the BBC’s
Match Of The Day: “Yes. We have a lot of players with a lack of condition but we are more than two seasons together and know what to do.
“We made a good performance in general and day by day we will get better and better ... Manchester City have given me a fantastic squad.”
It was a baptism of fire for new Arsenal manager Unai Emery, who was left in no uncertain terms about the gulf in quality between the two sides.
The former Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain manager handed starts to two of his summer arrivals as Sokratis Papastathopoulos lined up alongside Shkodran Mustafi at the heart of the defence, while Matteo Guendouzi was given his Premier League bow in midfield.
After 14 minutes, City showed they will likely be the team to beat this campaign too. Raheem Sterling, who contributed 23 league goals in last season’s title triumph, left a host of Arsenal defenders trailing in his wake before angling a low shot past Petr Cech.
Arsenal rarely threatened as an attacking force until the introduction of Alexandre Lacazette early in the second half. Within 60 seconds, the French striker had City goalkeeper Ederson anxiously watching the ball drift past him from the Frenchman’s shot with the outside of his right foot.
Cech came to the home side’s rescue on 63 minutes when it looked for all the world that Sergio Aguero would double City’s lead at the Emirates Stadium.
Guendouzi made a shocking error, taking an air shot at a bouncing ball, allowing Aguero through on goal. You would have put your mortgage on the Argentine scoring, but Cech spread himself well to keep the ball out. In the end, it mattered little. Fifty-three seconds later, Sterling and Benjamin Mendy worked an overlap down Arsenal’s right and the French leftback picked out Bernardo Silva in a crowded area for the Portuguese winger to rifle home.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had a late goal ruled out for offside that summed up the Gabonese striker’s afternoon.
“We feel that we could have got something from the game,” Cech told BBC Sport. “When you play against a team of City’s quality and confidence it is always going to be difficult. Inevitably, you can make a few mistakes.
“It was a shame we couldn’t finish off our counter attacks and overall we’re disappointed with the defeat.”