Indonesia
South Africa

Result: Manchester City hit five past 10-man Arsenal to send Gunners bottom

sportsmole.co.uk, 28 August 2021, 13:31
Ferran Torres struck twice as Manchester City piled on the misery for Mikel Arteta with an emphatic 5-0 win over 10-man Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium.

Pep Guardiola's champions never looked back after taking a 2-0 lead inside the opening 12 minutes of a one-sided Premier League encounter with goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Torres.

The Gunners then capitulated after the sending off of Granit Xhaka with Gabriel Jesus, Rodri and Torres completing the rout.

The result left the Gunners bottom at full-time, still without a point from their opening three matches of the new league campaign, with pressure mounting on their manager - Guardiola's former assistant Arteta.

For City, their opening-day loss to Tottenham is now firmly behind them. Their week may have been dominated by their high-profile pursuits of Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo ending without success, but for a second game in succession they hit five without an established centre forward.

Admittedly, on this occasion, they were helped by some poor Arsenal defending. City unveiled sculptures of Vincent Kompany and David Silva before the game and jokes soon circulated that Arteta might have been better off with either statue in his side.

City took instant command. Jesus and Torres appear to have done a job swap with the Brazil striker featuring in a wide role for the second successive game and winger Torres starting in the centre.

The roles appear to suit them with Jesus, fresh from providing two assists against Norwich last week, providing the cross for Gundogan's opener on seven minutes.

Jesus picked out the German with a well-flighted ball from the right and Gundogan met it with a powerful header at the back post.

Torres may not possess the threat of Kane or Ronaldo but he showed his eye for goal last season and again he was on hand as City doubled their lead.

Arsenal's defence switched off as a free-kick was taken short. Bernardo Silva was unchallenged as he clipped the ball into the box and, after Cedric Soares missed it, Torres was left with a tap-in.

It could have been three after another incisive move soon after but this time Torres' shot from a Jesus pass was off-target.

The only way Arsenal were likely to get back into the game was from a City mistake and that almost transpired when Emile Smith Rowe charged down a pass from a casual Ederson but the rebound rolled wide.

Things went from bad to worse for the Gunners when Xhaka was given his marching orders on 35 minutes. Referee Martin Atkinson showed a straight red card after the Switzerland midfielder jumped into a two-footed challenge on Joao Cancelo.

Their woe was further compounded two minutes before the interval when Jack Grealish cut into the box and set up Jesus, who took a touch and then rattled in the third.

City were in no mood to ease up after the restart either and a fourth seemed inevitable as they applied persistent pressure.

It came on 53 minutes, with Rodri this time the man on the scoresheet. The Spaniard expertly side-footed into the bottom corner from 25 yards as the Arsenal defence was again caught out.

The pressure continued with substitute Raheem Sterling forcing a save from Bernd Leno and then curling another effort wide.

Torres claimed his second six minutes from time when he glanced in a header off the post from a Riyad Mahrez cross to complete Arsenal's misery.

Top News

5 January 2025 talksport.com Liverpool's Premier League clash with Manchester United is currently still set to go ahead on Sunday afternoon. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the permanent transfer of Czech Republic goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky from Slavia Prague in a deal worth a reported £12. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk AC Milan are reportedly considering a loan move for Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Juventus are reportedly lining up a move for Manchester United defender Tyrell Malacia. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool's Premier League clash with bitter rivals Manchester United, scheduled for Sunday afternoon at Anfield, could allegedly be cancelled due to bad weather, with snow falling overnight in the Liverpool area. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk The transfer window is open! Clubs around the UK and Europe have one final chance to strengthen their squads for the second half of the season. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Ourense CF vs. Valladolid (Sunday, 11.00am) La Liga's basement side Real Valladolid will be bidding to book their spot in the last-16 stage of the Copa del Rey when they head to third-tier outfit Ourense CF on Sunday. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Kasimpasa vs. Gaziantep (Sunday, 10.30am) Kasimpasa will look to add more wins to their current unbeaten run when they host Gaziantep at Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadyumu on Sunday. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Santa Clara vs. Farense (Sunday, 3.30pm) High-flying Santa Clara welcome relegation-threatened SC Farense in gameweek 17 of the 2024-25 Primeira Liga season on Sunday at the Estadio de Sao Miguel. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Monza vs. Cagliari (Sunday, 11.30am) After both ended 2024 with four straight Serie A defeats, relegation rivals Monza and Cagliari will vie for victory in their year-opening fixture on Sunday. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Lens vs. Toulouse (Sunday, 2.00pm) Two sides in the hunt for a place in Europe next season resume their Ligue 1 campaigns on Sunday as Lens host Toulouse at Stade Bollaert-Delelis. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Hibernian vs. Rangers (Sunday, 12.00pm) Rangers will aim to build on their superb 3-0 victory in the Old Firm Derby as they head to Easter Road Stadium on Sunday to face an in-form Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have agreed to recall Stefan Bajcetic from his loan at Red Bull Salzburg and send him back out in January, with Real Betis heavily linked to the midfielder. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Queens Park Rangers will look to claim a second straight victory when they welcome Luton Town to Loftus Road for Monday's Championship clash. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool's pursuit of left-back Julio Soler appears to have ended in failure, with Bournemouth reportedly in advanced talks with Argentine club Lanus for his signature this winter. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have reportedly tabled an enormous £78m contract to Trent Alexander-Arnold in an attempt to stop the defender joining Real Madrid for free in the summer. 4 January 2025 talksport.com Matheus Cunha is set to sign a new long-term contract at Wolves, talkSPORT understands. 4 January 2025 talksport.com Tottenham and Newcastle kicked off a thrilling day of Premier League action, but Brentford and Bournemouth did their best to steal the headlines. 4 January 2025 talksport.com Arsenal are facing another injury scare after Ethan Nwaneri was brought off at half-time against Brighton. 4 January 2025 talksport.com Arsenal were pegged back in their quest to catch up with Premier League leaders Liverpool following a 1-1 draw at Brighton. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that he was forced to bring Ethan Nwaneri off at half time in their 1-1 Premier League draw with Brighton & Hove Albion due to injury. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool could make a statement to the rest of the Premier League should they heavily beat Ruben Amorim's deflated Manchester United side, according to Reds experts David Lynch. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona eased their way into the last-16 stage of the Copa del Rey on Saturday evening courtesy of a 4-0 success over fourth-tier outfit Barbastro at Estadio Municipal de Deportes de Barbastro. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal missed the chance to move to within three points of Premier League leaders Liverpool as a spirited Brighton & Hove Albion held them to a 1-1 draw at the Amex Stadium. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City defender Issa Kabore is reportedly on the verge of joining a Bundesliga club on loan for the rest of the season. 4 January 2025 talksport.com Ethan Nwaneri has joined an exclusive club with his latest Arsenal goal. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Pep Guardiola has set a new Premier League managerial record after his Manchester City side battled to a 4-1 win over West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal phenom Ethan Nwaneri has written a new page of Gunners history thanks to his opening goal in the Gunners' Premier League clash with Brighton & Hove Albion. 4 January 2025 talksport.com Liverpool are set to recall Stefan Bajcetic from his loan at Red Bull Salzburg. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have reportedly suffered a setback in their attempts to sign Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain, who could instead be part of a sensational swap deal with an Aston Villa striker.