A dominant attacking display from Manchester City saw them brush aside Premier League leaders Arsenal 6-3 at the Etihad Stadium, as the Citizens are now just three points behind the Gunners after a pulsating clash.
City took the lead through Sergio Aguero’s stunning first half volley, but Theo Walcott equalized soon after for Arsenal. Before the break City regained the lead when Alvaro Negredo finished off a superb team move to make it 2-1. After the interval City extended their lead when Fernandinho curled home a beauty but Walcott pulled Arsenal back into the game with a stunner of his own moments later.
City went 4-2 up as David Silva smashed home from close range and then Fernandinho added his second to make it 5-2. Arsenal grabbed a consolation through Per Mertesacker but City had the last say as Yaya Toure scored a penalty as the Citizens momentarily move into second spot in the PL.
With the win, Manuel Pellegrini’s men are just three points Arsenal as the Gunners lead at the summit is reduced after City’s explosive offensive display. The Citizen’s have now scored 35 goals in their eight home games so far and have won all eight as they sent out a message to the rest of the PL.
Manchester City dominated the early stages as they poured forward to try and go ahead early but Arsenal held firm and gradually grew in confidence as the first half wore on.
And it was the Gunners who had the first big chance of the game, as Walcott got free down the right and found Jack Wilshere unmarked at the back post in the 11th minute but the England international horribly skewed his volley and Olivier Giroud couldn’t direct his header goal wards in the ensuing melee.
Moments later Aguero gave City the lead as he acrobatically finished at the back post after a flick on from Martin Demechelis after a corner was swung in. Aguero peeled off away from his marker and volleyed home in style to put City 1-0 up after 13 minutes as the Citizens’ bright-start was rewarded. The goal marked the Argentine’s 15th goal in his last 14, and his 19th goal in 20 games this season.
City were playing with a real swagger and confidence and in the 19th minute central defender Vincent Kompany strolled forward and played in Negredo who smashed an effort just wide of the near post as the Citizens’ pushed for a second.
Wave after wave of City attack continued to come in on Arsenal’s goal as the Gunners struggled to get out of their own half. But in the 31st minute they were back on level terms as Yaya Toure was caught in possession and Arsenal pounced to make it 1-1.
Mesut Ozil was found on the edge of the box and he waited to play in Walcott who side-footed his effort goal wards and Demechelis got a slight touch on it as the ball hit the back of the net and there has to be question marks about Costel Pantilimon’s positioning in goal for City.
A fantastic end to the first half ensued as Negredo was played in and ‘the beast’ curled his left-footed effort wide of the far corner as City looked to hit back straight-away.
Eventually they did go back in front, as Negredo put City 2-1 up when Toure and Pablo Zabaleta combined superbly to set the Spanish striker up for a easy tap-in in the 39th minute. Laurent Koscielny was injured for Arsenal as he tried to stop Negredo from scoring and was replaced by Thomas Vermaelen.
In the second half City lost their in-form striker Aguero within a few minutes of the restart as the Argentine forward injured his calf and was replaced by Jesus Navas with City switching to a 4-5-1 formation. Moments later City were 3-1 up as the Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho curled home his first goal in the league for City in the 50h minute.
Arsenal attacked straight-away as Wilshere’s ball found Giroud at the back post but the Frenchman blazed over from close-range. As the Gunners pushed to get back into the game Zabaleta looked to have handled a through ball which stopped Walcott from going clean through but referee Martin Atkinson waved away the calls for a PK.
Walcott made it 3-2 in the 63rd minute as he curled home a beauty to score his second goal in his first game since returning from injury. The England winger cut in from the left and put his effort right into the top corner to give the Gunners hope of a stunning comeback.
But two minutes later Silva restored City’s two-goal advantage as he powerfully swept home a cross from the right as the game took yet another twist to put the Citizens 4-2 ahead.
Late on the game opened up and City almost extended their lead as Navas went clean through, rounded Szczesny in Arsenal’s goal but put his effort into the side-netting instead of slotting home. It didn’t matter though because City scored again thanks to a cool finish from Fernandinho for his second PL goal of the season but Mertesacker pulled a goal back in stoppage time with a header. But Toure rounded it all off from the penalty spot in the 94th minute to make it 6-3.
City are now within touching distance of top spot.
LINEUPS
Manchester City: Pantilimon, Zabaleta, Kompany, Demichelis, Clichy, Fernandinho, Yaya Toure, Nasri, Silva (Milner, 70), Aguero (Jesus Navas 48), Negredo
Goals: Aguero (14), Negredo (39), Fernandinho (50 & 87), Silva (66), Toure (90)
Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny (Vermaelen, 41), Monreal, Flamini (Gnabry, 70), Wilshere, Ramsey, Ozil, Walcott, Giroud (Bendtner, 75)
Goals: Walcott (31 & 63), Mertesacker (90)