Things Fall Apart for Pep in humiliating capitulation as rampant Gunners humble sorry City

Who is still buzzing after majestic Arsenal routed Manchester City 5-1 on a never-to-be-forgotten Sunday afternoon in North London...

Hello!

Are you still buzzing from Arsenal’s majestic 5-1 shellacking of Manchester City?

I certainly am. What a result. What a performance. A wonderful day.

All Hail Hale End

As much as I have covered Arsenal vs City games over the last decade, the only time I ever saw Pep Guardiola looking remotely as shellshocked as he was on Sunday during his post-match interviews in the Emirates media theatre, was at Wembley back in April 2017, after Arsenal had beaten City 2-1 in the FA Cup semi-final.

Leaving a barely coherent Guardiola to explain that it was the team that scored the most goals that won football matches. Good times. As was Sunday at the Emirates.

Sunday was a magnificent result forged by five years of hard work by Mikel Arteta and his staff.

Sunday gave us so many memorable moments.

How about Declan Rice running midfield? Not to mention Thomas Party’s majestic efficiency when fielded in his correct midfield position - and his long-range effort to make it 2-1 at a crucial time in the game, barely a minute after fearing the worst following Haaland’s leveller

Or Kai Havertz’s scoring a superb goal, after carving out a chance that was far harder to score than the early effort he sadly missed - underlining that the Gunners striker never stops working, and never gives up.

And how good was it to savour the performances from two Hale End graduates, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri - whose late, late strike was almost buried in the deep, deep joy at the final whistle and beyond. Suffice to say if you get a chance take a look at the 36 pass move prior to the precocious teen striking his seventh - (seventh!) goal of what could be a momentous season.

Lewis-Skelly’s superb strike was the second goal I’ve seen him score against Manchester City, after his last-gasp 120th minute free-kick when playing for Arsenal U18s vs City U18s in the semi-final of the FA Youth Cup back in April 2023 - and it was at the same end of the Emirates if memory serves me right.

And my how we laughed when the Arsenal PA - I know him and he’s a really lovely guy - played Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Humble’ at the final whistle.

Oh how we laughed…

All of which meant it was a throughly miserable day for Pep Guardiola, Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and John Stones to name but a few, including the Norway striker’s dad, who caught the bait after the game, when mithering about Arsenal’s lack of trophies.

As opposed, of course, to the trophies won by 115FC…wink wink

Anyway, Mikel Arteta’s Gunners are now unbeaten in 17 games against ‘big six’ sides - prompting social media meltdowns from the haters.

The fact is Arsenal were utterly worthy winners - with Arteta now unbeaten in five games against his former mentor Pep.

Despite the tedious GNev2 - desperately trying and failing to make himself relevant by moaning about Gabriel celebrating in front of Haaland - made even more satisfying by remembering Haaland bouncing the ball off Gabriel’s head after City’s 98th minute equaliser during the frustrating 2-2 draw at the Etihad, with GNev2’s benignly chortling back then. He certainly wasn't laughing on Sunday, as he could see with his own eyes just how far his Red Devils are behind Arsenal right now.

And while we’re here - did anyone else notice Bernado Silva kicking Leandro Trossard while on the deck. Anyone, anyone? PGMOL?

These guys…

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My Arsenal 5-1 City match report from the Emirates press box on Sunday

Things Fall Apart for Pep in humiliating capitulation as rampant Gunners humble sorry City

Arsenal 5-1 Manchester City: Report by Layth Yousif at the Emirates

Majestic Arsenal routed Manchester City 5-1 on a never-to-be-forgotten Sunday afternoon in North London, as things fell apart for Pep Guardiola.

The trophy-laden visitors capitulated in face of the rampant Gunners, who effectively ensured the end of an era for Guardiola’s four-time Premier League champions, who must now embark on a big rebuild, if they ever want to return to the heights they once ruled.

Goals from Martin Odegaard – after 103 seconds - Thomas Partey, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz and Ethan Nwaneri helped Mikel Arteta's outstanding Gunners thrash the struggling champions in a memorable display full of verve allied with fight.

While Erling Haaland might have cancelled out Odegaard's opener with a 55th minute leveller, the big Norway striker had a day to forget in North London, compounded by Arsenal’s young gun Lewis-Skelly derisive take on the City man’s ‘Namaste’ goal celebration, when hitting his first goal for Arteta’s side.

For if the rambunctious Haaland did not know who Lewis-Skelly was during the feisty 2-2 draw at the Etihad back in September, the Norwegian striker certainly does now, as Arsenal vaporised their sorry visitors - with satisfaction levels in Islington peaking with talented Hale End graduate Lewis-Skelly’s goal celebration that mocked Haaland, which saw the young gun cheekily copy the Norway striker's zen pose, much to the delight of the raucous home crowd.

However, speaking after the match, a dignified Arteta refused to gloat in the aftermath of victory over his old friend and mentor Guardiola, saying simply, with modest pride: “We were very aggressive, we played with a lot of courage.”

While Liverpool may have risen without trace to the top of the table, albeit fuelled by efficient results, Arteta’s effervescent side refused to allow Arne Slot’s side a procession to the title, cutting the gap to six points, with their game in hand the Merseyside derby at a fierce Goodison Park next week.

While Arsenal have spluttered at times this term since running City agonisingly close to the title for the last two seasons, the signs indicate that Arteta’s side are moving through the gears – with the humiliation over Guardiola’s underwhelming side capping a good week for the Gunners, after their hard-fought 1-0 win at Wolves, prior to easing past Girona in sunny Catalonia to finish third out of 36 teams in the Champions League.

Quite simply the Gunners were magnificent.

Absolutely outstanding in sweeping away Guardiola's fading champions in a rampant response to their frustrating draw in Manchester in the autumn, with John Stones’ 98th minute leveller meaning that, until this weekend, Arsenal had one win from 11 matches against City. A dismal run which also included eight successive wins on the bounce for Guardiola over Arteta from October 2020 to April 2023 – culminating in the 4-1 rout in Manchester that effectively sealed the title that season, despite the Gunners being top of the table for a record 257 days.

Yet all that debilitating baggage was swept away after a momentous performance, with the result also notable for the fact it was the first time Arsenal had two teenagers scoring in the same league game for nearly 40 years, with fellow 18-year-old Nwaneri also finding the net for his scarcely believable seventh goal of a fruitful campaign.

“Individually you need big performances throughout the team, we certainly had that,” said Arteta after the match, adding: “Myles had that.

“On top of that now, he adds a goal that is relevant and important.

“The same with Ethan, he comes into a position which is quite new for him, and he scores an incredible goal.”

Stay humble…

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Did you know:

So. Arsenal’s superb performance broke a raft of records - and, with thanks to Harvey Downes, Football Data Editor for Opta Joe, and Tom Eve, Opta, let’s go through a few.

In 213 encounters between the teams stretching back to 1893, Sunday’s 5-1 result was only the sixth time the Gunners netted five or more against City - with our biggest margin of victory came in October 2000 when we won 5-0.

(As an aside I was at that game and seem to recall Ashley Cole scoring with a low drive from outside the box.

But what I really recall - just to underline what City were about back then - was their boss at the time Joe Roale doing a post-match interview, stood casually with a can of cider in his hand. I wasn’t working as a journalist back then, I simply remember it vividly because it looked so bizarre.)

Across 916 games Sunday was only the second match that Guardiola had conceded five goals.

MLS (18y 129d) was youngest player to score against the reigning champs since Wayne Rooney vs Arsenal in October 2003 (17yr 150d)

It was also the first time since 2008 City conceded five+ goals from open play, while the seven goals Arsenal scored against City this season are the most by a team in a single team since Liverpool in 2015-16.

The five goals on Sunday was also only the second time Arsenal have scored 5+ against the reigning champions since 1963.

While Partey and Nwaneri’s goals from outside the box was the first time Arsenal had done so since December 2018 vs Spurs.

Keeper David Raya is now unbeaten in six matches vs City - longest ever unbeaten run by a keeper against a side bossed by Pep.

Arsenal had two teenagers score in the last league game for Arsenal since Tony Adams and Niall Quinn vs Sheffield Wednesday back in September 1986.