In a stunning showcase of football, Arsenal decisively trounced Manchester City 5-1 on Sunday, keeping their Premier League title aspirations firmly alive.
In a gripping encounter between the top two teams from the previous two seasons, the Gunners emerged victorious, closing the gap to leaders Liverpool—who still have a game in hand—to just six points.
The match could not have started more perfectly for Arsenal. Within the first two minutes, Manuel Akanji’s costly error allowed Kai Havertz to square the ball for Martin Ødegaard, who coolly opened the scoring.
However, Havertz soon squandered a golden opportunity to double the lead, casting doubts on Arsenal’s clinical edge. Yet, that uncertainty seemed fleeting as Erling Haaland levelled the score early in the second half, netting his 250th career club goal with a textbook header.
But this season, the reigning champions are but a shadow of their former selves. Just 105 seconds later, Arsenal reclaimed the lead when Thomas Partey’s shot fortuitously deflected off John Stones into the net.
Myles Lewis-Skelly, having narrowly avoided suspension after a controversial red card from the previous week was rescinded, made the most of his chance by elegantly curling in Arsenal’s third goal—the first of his burgeoning career.
In a moment that electrified the home crowd, Lewis-Skelly celebrated by mimicking Haaland’s iconic meditation pose, a cheeky nod to his rival.
Havertz then struck again, firing a low shot into the far corner as Arsenal’s counter-attacks sliced through the City defence with ease.
The rout was completed by another of Arsenal’s promising teenagers, Ethan Nwaneri, who curled home a stunning effort in stoppage time.
As the final whistle blew, the defeat left Manchester City languishing in fourth, now a staggering 15 points adrift of the summit and facing the harsh reality of being dethroned after four consecutive seasons as champions.