Early Sterling goal enough as City down Arsenal
Manchester City has handed Arsenal their eleventh league loss of the campaign thanks to a Raheem Sterling goal inside the opening two minutes as City takes a stranglehold on the Premier League title.
Mikel Arteta rang the changes as Pablo Mari, Kieran Tierney, Mo Elneny, and Nicolas Pepe all came into the starting XI.
City start fast
City has been fast starters in recent weeks and my word they did not take long to get into their groove. Arsenal had not touched the ball from the kick-off and within 75 seconds City had the lead. Arsenal was being pulled all over the place when Riyad Mahrez picked up the ball and clipped it into the box to find Raheem Sterling who headed home.
Goal for Manchester City – scored by Raheem Sterling
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 21, 2021
🔴 0-1 ⚪️ (2)#ARSMCI
City were levels above the Gunners, and it was painful to watch as at times it was like a training drill. City could get at Arsenal’s backline at will and the possession stats told the story. In the first 15 minutes, City had 71% possession to Arsenal’s 29% as it was just sheer and utter dominance as the gap between the two was remarkable.
Pep Guardiola’s side made the Gunners look like a championship side for the first half-hour as it felt like they could get in at any time. To Arsenal’s credit, they did slowly get themselves back into the game as their most likely attacking outlet looked like coming down the left-hand side with Tierney and Bukayo Saka linking up well.
As the half went on Arsenal grew in confidence and they enjoyed more of the ball as they did not allow City a shot on target since the goal, which equated to about 40 minutes so there were signs of improvement after the initial shock of conceding seemed to fade.
Somehow Arsenal managed to get to the break just one goal behind and still very much in the game and had plenty to play for in the second half.
One goal in it at the break.
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 21, 2021
🔴 0-1 ⚪️ (HT)#ARSMCI
City started the half on the front foot as Kevin de Bruyne having three chances inside three minutes as they dominated possession. To Arsenal’s credit they never gave City a real opening at goal as for the most part they were ok defensively. Joao Cancelo had perhaps the best chance of the half for Pep Guardiola’s men after great work from Gabriel Jesus found the right-back who tried to curl his shot home with the outside of his foot, but his shot went wide.
Surprisingly Arsenal had more possession in the half yet did not create any clear-cut chances. Mikel Arteta brought on Alexandre Lacazette and Emile Smith Rowe for Martin Odegaard and Nicolas Pepe as they searched for an equalizer. The game never hit any great heights in the last 15 minutes as City was never really troubled and seemed content with knocking the ball around and forcing Arsenal to chance.
In the end, it was Arsenal’s inability to start well that was their undoing as Raheem Sterling’s goal was enough to take all three points and extend City’s lead to 10 points at the summit.
Beaten by the league leaders.
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 21, 2021
🔴 0-1 ⚪️ (FT)#ARSMCI
For Arsenal, the fact that they did not try and have a real go at City in the latter stages of the half is incredibly disappointing but they must regroup for their second leg against Benfica in the Europa League.
The loss, which is Arsenal’s eleventh, leaves them in the tenth position in the table and their only hope of European football for next season is to win the Europa League, something that is going to be a tough task.
