Arsenal cut its gap to Liverpool at the top of the table to just six points on Sunday courtesy of a 5-1 win over Manchester City.
It was a game that underlined once again where the champions are lacking as City was sloppy playing out from the back, brittle in defence and failed to create sufficient chances to win the game at the other end.
As for Arsenal, it continued its unbeaten run in the Premier League to 14 games and remains Liverpool’s closest title challengers. The Gunners took the lead via Martin Odegaard in the second minute after capitalizing on a defensive mix-up, with the Norwegian tapping after being teed up by Kai Havertz.
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The former Chelsea man should have doubled the advantage but shot wide when presented with a one-one opportunity before the break. Instead, a timid Havertz fired wide. City looked to have punished that error when Erling Haaland headed in sublimely from a Savinho cross in the 55th minute, but it only served to drive Arsenal on.
Thomas Partey almost immediately put the Gunners ahead when his strike deflected in off John Stones, before Myles Lewis-Skelly got his name on the scoresheet after he drove forward from left-back and placed beyond Stefan Ortega.
With 15 minutes left to play, Havertz redeemed himself when he finished off a decisive Arsenal counter, cutting inside and curling a shot into the bottom corner. That looked to be the final score until Ethan Ethan Nwaneri curled perhaps the pick of the bunch in injury-time. 5-1, this was a rout, and underlined how far City has fallen in such a short space of time.
When the sides last met, the feisty 2-2 draw was seen as a meeting between the country’s top two sides and the reverse fixture could prove vital in determining who will claim the title. Liverpool has had different plans since then, and Sunday’s game was a meeting between two sides who invariably are looking on enviously at the football routinely on show at Anfield.
Arsenal could still ruin Liverpool’s title dreams, as unlikely as that looks. City, now 15 points behind and having played a game more, has no chance. Liverpool’s gap is six with that extra match played.
By the time the Gunners are next in Premier League action that lead could be stretched to nine points after Liverpool’s final trip to Goodison Park. Mikel Arteta will be praying his old boss can help him out.
