Clinical Man City Send Arsenal Bottom With Five-Goal Romp
Arsenal’s miserable start to the 2021/2022 season continued on Saturday when they were battered 5-0 by champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
After back-to-back losses to Brentford and Chelsea in their opening two games, plenty gave the Gunners little chance against Pep Guardiola’s men.
Man City might have missed out on signing Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo during the week but they were still at their clinical best to underline their title credentials.
Just like against Chelsea, Arsenal made a bright start but for all their huffing and puffing in the early stages, it was Man City who took the lead when Ilkay Gundogan rose highest to head home Gabriel Jesus’ cross unchallenged in the seventh minute.
One soon became two for the hosts when Ferran Torres tucked home Bernardo Silva’s cross into the box for a second City goal in the 12th minute.
Arsenal’s day went from bad to worse in the 35th minute when Granit Xhaka was shown a straight red card by referee Martin Atkinson for a two-footed challenge on Joao Cancelo.
The hosts capitalised on their numerical advantage and quickly extended their lead when Jack Grealish danced into the Arsenal box and laid the ball on a plate for Jesus to stab home their third of the day two minutes before full-time.
Back from the break, City refused to take their foot off the gas and a slick team move ended up with Rodri passing the ball into the back of the next from 25 yards out after being teed up by Torres in the 53rd minute.
Torres scored his second of the game six minutes from time when he nodded home substitute Riyad Mahrez’s cross in off the post.
Arsenal have now lost all three games without scoring a goal and are bottom of the table while Man City have recorded back-to-back 5-0 victories.
