Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud were on target as Arsenal won 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium to strike a blow to Manchester City’s Barclays Premier League title hopes.
Much had been made of Arsenal’s inability to beat the big clubs in the top flight ahead of Sunday’s encounter, but Arsene Wenger’s side proved they are no soft touch with an impressive display to consign City to a first defeat in 15 matches.
Cazorla opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the first half after returning City captain Vincent Kompany blocked off Nacho Monreal. City, who also welcomed leading scorer Sergio Aguero back into the starting line-up, struggled going forward in the first half but were far more threatening after the break.
The defending champions were unable to pull off a fightback, though, and there was no way back when Cazorla turned provider with a free-kick that was headed home by Giroud.
The defeat for City was their second at home in the league this season and a first loss since November ensured that Manuel Pellegrini’s side remain five points behind leaders Chelsea, with the two teams set to face each other in a fortnight in the Barclays Premier League. Arsenal have won five of their last six matches and leapfrog Tottenham Hotspur into fifth place.
Aguero made his first start for six weeks and Kompany was also back in the City starting line-up along with James Milner. There were two changes to the Arsenal starting XI after victory over Stoke City last weekend, with Aaron Ramsey and Hector Bellerin in for Tomas Rosicky and Mathieu Debuchy.
City made a positive start and Aguero was unable to pick out a team-mate from the byline after referee Mike Dean had played advantage when Laurent Koscielny clattered into Fernandinho with a clumsy challenge that resulted in a yellow card for the Frenchman.
It was Arsenal who were in front after 24 minutes, though, when Kompany tangled with Monreal after the full-back played a neat one-two with Giroud and, although Joe Hart guessed the right way, he was unable to keep out Cazorla’s precise penalty.
City looked short of ideas going forward as a frustrated David Silva was unable to make his presence felt and Aguero was starved of service. Pellegrini reacted to the hosts’ first-half display by replacing Milner with Stevan Jovetic at half-time and Aguero came close to an equaliser just after the break when his deflected strike was only just off target.
The hosts were posing far more of a threat to the Arsenal defence and Jesus Navas’s drive was beaten away by David Ospina before Fernandinho’s strike was deflected over. The match was being played at a frantic pace and Koscielny got a crucial touch on Navas’s cross to divert the ball for a corner as Aguero was poised to turn it into the net.
City were left with a mountain to climb when an unmarked Giroud punished some poor defending by nodding in Cazorla’s free-kick after 67 minutes to stun the home fans.
Mathieu Flamini could have provided another goal for Giroud late on, but Kompany got in the way of his attempted cross as Arsenal saw out the match with ease.
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini: “We were not a creative team, we didn’t have the ideas to cause damage in their defence. We have a lot of time on the ball, but without creativity it is not possible to score goals.
“I always give credit to the team that wins the game. Arsenal played very concentrated. We ran the whole game, pressed very well, but we didn’t have the ideas of how to create the space in their defence. I think we are a better team than the way we played.”
“It is important, because it is a long way to recover the eight points. Now they are five points in front, we have to play against Chelsea and we will try to prepare to win that game and close that gap again.
“We allow Chelsea to be five points in front. I don’t think this is finished. With a win or draw we can continue fighting.”
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: “We played high in their half and were deep in our half and it worked. I felt that we were well-disciplined, well-organised, had a good solidarity and overall we kept a good control of the game. We could even have done better many times on counter attacks.
“We had that consistent discipline for 90 minutes which is needed in big games. We looked in control away from home and we finally got a big win in a big game away from home.
“We almost had it at Liverpool [a 2-2 draw at Anfield last month], but [against City] we did it. What is pleasing is that reinforces the belief of the team. To feel that you can do well is very important.”
source: premierleague.com
STUDIO 3 NEWCASTLE AUSTRALIA 