Hale End heroes Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri both found the back of the net as Arsenal demolished a meek Manchester City 5-1 at the Emirates in the Premier League.
As has been the case with recent encounters between Mikel Arteta's men and Pep Guardiola's charges, fast-paced attacking play was at a premium in the first 45, where the visitors were the architects of their own collapse.
Martin Odegaard capitalised on a defensive calamity to propel the Gunners ahead inside just two minutes, but the hosts were also indebted to David Raya for a couple of world-class reaction saves later in the first half, while also lamenting a horror miss from increasingly profligate Kai Havertz after another City error.
The German's atrocious blunder only proved costly for a couple of minutes, though, as while Erling Haaland momentarily drew City level with his 250th club goal, Thomas Partey's deflected effort and Lewis-Skelly's first Arsenal goal put the Gunners back in cruise control.
Havertz then atoned for his horror miss with a fabulous fourth for the hosts, before Lewis-Skelly's fellow academy starlet Nwaneri emulated his young colleague with an astounding fifth right at the death.
Arsenal's gap to Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table stays at six points having played a game more, while Guardiola's crestfallen crew are still clinging onto the fourth and final Champions League spot, but only thanks to a superior goals scored over Newcastle United.
SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT
© Iconsport
How Gooners would use to dread the visit of Guardiola's indomitable City machine, but the days of Kevin De Bruyne making the Emirates his playground are long gone, and statements do not come much bigger than this.
In all truth, though, a familiarly frustrating tale appeared to be rearing its ugly head for the Gunners when Haaland hit 250 not out; Arteta's men ruing their lack of killer instinct and almost relying on Man City to gift them a goal.
Thankfully for the North London giants, the meek Mancunians did just that to undo all of their careful and conscientious probing, before being carved open at will in a manner completely unaccustomed to Guardiola teams.
Barring the most catastrophic Liverpool collapse, Arsenal's emphatic triumph will prove meaningless in the Premier League title race, but the Gunners most certainly are now what Man City used to be.
The changing of the guard is well underway - whether it be Liverpool, Arsenal or even Nottingham Forest who rip the crown from City's grasp - and Saturday's result feels like the one that will mark the end of the champions' golden era.
ARSENAL VS. MAN CITY HIGHLIGHTS
Martin Odegaard goal vs. Man City (2nd min, Arsenal 1-0 Man City)
Arsenal pounce on Manuel Akanji's mistake and Martin Odegaard opens the scoring inside two minutes! 💨 pic.twitter.com/HQSRRnTDGv
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 2, 2025
Gone are the days when Man City can play out from the back with consummate ease, and Guardiola's game plan is in tatters after just two minutes!
John Stones's pass to Manuel Akanji across the backline is already questionable, but the Swiss makes an absolute mess of the situation, and Leandro Trossard intercepts his pass straight to Declan Rice.
The Englishman immediately slips in an onside Havertz, who unselfishly - or unconfidently - opts to pass to Odegaard rather than shoot from a promising position, but it works out as the Norwegian converts into the centre of an unguarded goal.
Erling Haaland goal vs. Arsenal (55th min, Arsenal 1-1 Man City)
Erling Haaland scores his 250th club goal! 🤖 pic.twitter.com/WU1oCITOQb
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 2, 2025
A penny for the thoughts of Gabriel Magalhaes - the Arsenal man wildly celebrated in the centre-back's face after Odegaard opener, but Haaland has a bit more grace about him as he draws City level with a landmark goal!
Phil Foden slips in Savinho into the box with a lovely reverse pass, and the Brazilian's delicate cross finds Haaland, who gets in front of William Saliba far too easily and loops a header into the far corner out of Raya's reach.
The Scandinavian sensation's aerial effort marked his 250th club goal in just 314 appearances; not even Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo managed that monstrous feat so quickly!
Thomas Partey goal vs. Man City (57th min, Arsenal 2-1 Man City)
Manchester City are level for a matter of seconds before Thomas Partey's deflected shot restores the Gunners' lead! 💥 pic.twitter.com/pbqIPC0Re7
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 2, 2025
After playing a critical pass in the lead-up to Haaland's goal, Foden is the culprit of City's latest fatal error two minutes later!
The England international's inexplicable pass into no man's land is quickly intercepted by Partey, who hesitates for a brief moment before letting fly, and his strike takes a wild deflection off of Stones before nestling into the far corner.
How about that for an instant response!
Myles Lewis-Skelly goal vs. Man City (62nd min, Arsenal 3-1 Man City)
Myles Lewis-Skelly scores his first goal for Arsenal! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/ctqscXZRet
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 2, 2025
In addition to telling Arteta to 'stay humble' at the Etihad in September, Haaland also appeared to furiously ask Lewis-Skelly just exactly who he thought he was - I suspect the City striker knows now.
Rice plays a crisp pass into the feet of the teenager on the left half-space, and the fearless Hale End graduate drives at the Sky Blues backline, cuts inside and fires an attempt that Stefan Ortega should be saving, but he can only deflect the ball into the net via the inside of the post.
How does the 18-year-old mark his first-ever Arsenal goal? By imitating Haaland's celebration, of course.
Kai Havertz goal vs. Man City (76th min, Arsenal 4-1 Man City)
Kai Havertz finishes off a fine counter attack! 🔴 pic.twitter.com/I1aLZUMoqx
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 2, 2025
All is forgiven.
Havertz added to his catalogue of appalling misses in the first half, but the Germany international finishes off this counter-attack with absolute aplomb, firing a left-footed curler into the far corner after being teed up by Gabriel Martinelli.
Ethan Nwaneri goal vs. Man City (90+3 min, Arsenal 5-1 Man City)
Ethan Nwaneri adds Arsenal's FIFTH. 😳🚀 pic.twitter.com/uQos9G1MHw
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 2, 2025
A full five stars for an amazing Arsenal, and an amazing goal to cap it all off!
Rice - who has been exceptional all afternoon - plays a wonderful cross-field ball to Nwaneri on the right, and the 17-year-old produces a Bukayo Saka special, cutting inside on his left foot and bending a brilliant effort into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
MAN OF THE MATCH - DECLAN RICE
© Imago
While Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri will rightly be lapping up the adulation from the Emirates crowd, Rice was more or less untouchable in the middle of the park for Arsenal, setting up both of his teenage counterparts in the second half.
That pair of assists marked two of five chances that he created on the day, while he also put in two interceptions and demonstrated his extraordinary athleticism throughout; to put it simply, Rice is everything Man City's midfield is not right now.
ARSENAL VS. MAN CITY MATCH STATS
Possession: Arsenal 46%-54% Man City
Shots: Arsenal 12-7 Man City
Shots on target: Arsenal 7-4 Man City
Corners: Arsenal 5-2 Man City
Fouls: Arsenal 6-7 Man City
BEST STATS
3 - Manchester City have conceded three goals in the opening three minutes of play in the Premier League this season; the joint-most in the division, along with Ipswich and Wolves. Cold. pic.twitter.com/BcFqJIHlw7
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 2, 2025
4 - Manchester City have conceded 4+ goals in a game for the fourth time this season, which is now the most in a single campaign in Pep Guardiola's managerial career. Uncharacteristic. pic.twitter.com/0kI3uFWokl
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 2, 2025
5 - Mikel Arteta is now unbeaten in five games against Manchester City (W2 D3); the joint-longest run by a manager against Pep Guardiola, after Thomas Tuchel (2016-2021) and Jürgen Klopp (2021-2022). Equals. pic.twitter.com/tUVbtRs3jH
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 2, 2025
WHAT NEXT?
Now continuing their pursuit of an unlikely EFL Cup triumph, Arsenal travel to face Newcastle United in the second leg of their semi-final on Wednesday evening, where Arteta's men have a mountain to climb after a 2-0 first-leg loss but will arrive with a giant spring in their step.
The Gunners then have a 10-day break before meeting Leicester City in the Premier League on September 15 - prime time for a Dubai trip - but Man City have an FA Cup fourth-round trip to Leyton Orient on the agenda for next Saturday.
Ben Knapton
