Medical Manchester Metropolis knocked Arsenal off their Premier League perch as second-half aims by Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland earned the champions a 3-1 victory in a crunch top-of-the-table battle at The Emirates Stadium on Wednesday (Feb 15).
Arsenal had come from a intention down and appeared capable of ending a 10-game dropping streak throughout the league in opposition to Metropolis nonetheless they lastly obtained right here up fast as their hopes of a main league title since 2004 suffered a setback.
Mikel Arteta’s aspect, prime of the standings since August, hit once more strongly after Kevin de Bruyne’s Twenty fourth-minute opener and had been deservedly stage through Bukayo Saka’s penalty.
Nonetheless they struggled to maintain up the depth after the break and hardly helped themselves with a succession of errors.
Metropolis had a penalty overturned by VAR nonetheless saved probing and took the lead when Grealish fired in his third league intention of the season throughout the 72nd minute.
Haaland then netted his twenty sixth league intention of the advertising marketing campaign to silence the home crowd and put Pep Guardiola’s aspect on 51 elements, the identical as Arsenal nonetheless with a superior intention distinction.
Arsenal’s first residence defeat of the season felt like a pivotal second throughout the title race, although with a sport in hand they’re nonetheless very lots in rivalry.
After choosing up only one degree from their ultimate three video video games, nonetheless, they need to regain re-boot shortly.
“Once you give three objectives away one of the simplest ways we did that gives them the game. It’s a shame because of we really had them,” Arteta said.
“The margin for error in opposition to them is almost zero. We did a great deal of simple points fallacious.”
Guardiola said his aspect had been “mushy” throughout the first half nonetheless praised one of the simplest ways they stepped up.
“That they had been greater than us throughout the first half nonetheless we stepped forward throughout the second and had been nonetheless in it and in the long term the usual of the players made the excellence,” he said.
Arteta sprung a shock by deciding on Takehiro Tomiyasu ahead of Ben White at correct once more whereas Jorginho obtained right here in for the injured Thomas Partey for his first start since arriving from Chelsea throughout the January swap window.
WOEFUL PASS
Arteta’s dedication blew up in his face as Japan worldwide Tomiyasu was pressured proper right into a woeful once more cross by Grealish and De Bruyne seized on it sooner than dispatching a silky lobbed finish over a stranded Aaron Ramsdale.
Faraway from knocking the stuffing out of Arsenal, nonetheless, the hosts responded by seizing administration in midfield as Metropolis appeared flustered and bizarrely appeared intent on shedding time.
Tomiyasu volleyed a chance over and Saka had one different various nonetheless delayed his shot too prolonged.
Inside the thirty ninth minute, Eddie Nketiah, who earlier headed a chance enormous, was carried out through and flicked a shot goalwards merely sooner than being clattered by Metropolis’s keeper Ederson.
Nathan Ake hooked the ball off the highway nonetheless referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot for Ederson’s foul and Saka coolly tucked his penalty earlier the Brazilian.
Metropolis nearly regained the lead in first-half stoppage time when Ruben Dias’s header was flicked on to the crossbar by Ake.
Surprisingly, Arsenal self-destructed after the break and had one let-off when Gabriel pulled once more Haaland to concede a penalty nonetheless a VAR study dominated the Norwegian was offside.
Nketiah was inches away from giving Arsenal the lead when he slid in to try to affix with a low cross nonetheless Metropolis began to dominate as Arsenal pale.
Gabriel was accountable of dithering on the ball on the sting of his penalty area and was robbed by Bernardo Silva sooner than Haaland’s cross reached Grealish who fired earlier Ramsdale.
This time there was no response from Arsenal and Haaland, who was an harm doubt ahead of the game, sealed victory with a normally ruthless finish eight minutes from time.
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