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Three things we learned from Arsenal vs Manchester City, as Gunners make huge statement

LONDON — Arsenal vs Manchester City was always going to be a pivotal clash in the season for both teams and it turned out to be a brilliant game in north London on Sunday.

With a 5-1 win Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have made a huge statement that they’re here to stay in the title race. After hanging in there and equalizing early in the second half, Pep Guardiola’s Man City collapsed.

The atmosphere was crackling, teenagers were scoring and trolling Man City’s superstars and Arsenal’s supporters turned up the volume as City wilted in the cauldron and Arsenal’s title race gained new energy.

After taking an early lead through Martin Odegaard, Arsenal sat back and Erling Haaland made it 1-1 early in the second half. That led to an incredible response from Arsenal as Thomas Partey’s shot deflected in and Myles Lewis-Skelly scored six minutes later to make it 3-1. Kai Havertz scored a beauty to make it four and Ethan Nwaneri scored a stunner to make it 5-1 as Guardiola looked stunned on the sidelines.

Here’s a look at what we learned from another epic Arsenal vs Manchester City clash.

Arsenal’s midfield overpowers City

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are now five games unbeaten against Manchester City and they had this game there for the taking from the first minute. Arsenal took their foot off the gas either side of half time to let City back in it but when they needed to kick on they realised they could bulldoze City. Arsenal’s trio of Declan Rice, Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard ran all over Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva in midfield. We know City are missing Rodri badly but even he would have struggled to help City stem the tide of Arsenal’s energetic midfield trio. Add in full backs Lewis-Skelly and Timber inverting and overloading midfield and snapping into challenges and this was a horrible, physical game for City. Arsenal made this their type of game and did to City what City have so often done to them over the last decade. Arsenal simply overpowered and ran over City and when they got the chance to win this game their clinical edge that has been missing for most of this season returned with a bang.

Shaky City can’t handle the heat

Manchester City can’t have any real arguments with their result. Yes, they had more possession and got themselves back in the game at the start of the second half, but that was more about Arsenal letting them back in it. Whenever Arsenal turned up the heat on City’s defense and midfield they crumbled. Ederson was missed badly and Ortega gave the ball away on multiple occasions as he took too many risks. Kovacic was flustered. John Stones and Manuel Akanji were full of mistakes and dragged all over the place. Just like so many defeats this season, including recently at PSG, City wilted in the heat of the big moment. Their mini-revival has given them a chance of finishing in the top four this season but when they’ve come up against PSG and Arsenal in recent weeks it has been clear to see they have a long, long way to go to get back to their previous levels. Against the two best teams they’ve faced in recent months they collapsed badly defensively.

Title race is well and truly on

Arsenal are six points behind Liverpool, who have a game in-hand, but the manner of this win proved they will hang around in the title race until the bitter end. Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 14 Premier League games, the first time they’ve done that under Arteta, and remain the only team unbeaten in the league at home this season. The intensity and hunger they showed, especially in a big moment after Haaland made it 1-1, proved they are ready to deal with setbacks between now and the end of May. After their League Cup semifinal second leg at Newcastle on Wednesday, Arsenal have the luxury of a warm weather trip to recover and get themselves ready for a big final push in the Premier League and Champions League. With Bukayo Saka expected to be back in early March too, Arsenal will have their main attacking threat fit and ready to roll. We are all set for a straight scrap between Liverpool and Arsenal for the title. And Arsenal have shown they will be right there if Liverpool falter.