Manchester City got back their second spot from Tottenham Hotspur and cut Liverpool’s lead at the top to two points after securing a 3-1 victory at the Etihad against Arsenal which was powered by a Sergio Aguero hat-trick.
One of the first thing which every team must be thinking about before facing City is to come out of the first 15-20 minutes unscathed. However, Arsenal had the worst possible start as Sergio Aguero scored in the first minute. Credit to the Gunners though as they fought back and stayed in the game as Laurent Koscielny scored from a corner which looked like a routine from the training ground. City again restored their lead before the half time whistle, and Emery would have been disappointed that his team couldn’t go in level at the break.
The home team went for the kill and found the all-important third goal which took the sting out of the game. Aguero managed a simple hattrick and City could have had more as Arsenal were stretched in the final 10-15 minutes.
Here is how the Gunners fared on the day.
Bernd Leno 7
Pulled off some top saves to keep his side alive in the game. Couldn’t have done much for the goals he conceded.
Laurent Koscielny 6
Brought his team back into the game after scoring from close range. Defensively, he took good positions and cleared some dangerous low crosses. Slowly getting back to his best.
Shkodran Mustafi 4
Always looked like a disaster waiting to happen as he was shaky and was often found out of position. Liability in defence.
Stephan Lichsteiner 3
All over the place defensively. Allowed Sterling acres of space on his right for the second goal and was caught ball watching. Might exude the confidence that he is a leader of the side as he is often seen barking orders, but Emery must definitely be barking at him in the dressing room.
Nacho Monreal 6
Worked hard and covered well at the back. Defended the left side well and Manchester City were definitely targetting the other flank to attack.
Lucas Torreira 7
Protected the ball well when he had the possession and worked hard. Made some good last ditch tackles but City just had too many waves of attacks coming in.
Matteo Guendouzi 7.5
Is emerging as one of the most crucial players in Emery’s setup. His energy and passing were fantastic. Was almost faultless in the first half. Sad that the defence wasn’t able to match up to the midfielder’s performance.
Sead Kolasinac 6
Played as a left winger and made life tough on the break for the Citizens. Took one decent attempt on goal but spent most of the time chasing back.
Alex Iwobi 4
Was at fault for the early goal. Worked hard but didn’t have enough quality on the ball to get out against a high pressing City side.
Alexandre Lacazette 6.5
Saw very little of the ball but did whatever he could in tight spaces as he protected the ball well and made some good passes. Can’t really fault him for anything.
Pierre Emerick Aubameyang 5.5
Couldn’t break away on the counter with his pace. Wasn’t at his usual best and the forward’s sharpness was lacking a bit.
Substitutes
Aaron Ramsey 5
By the time he came on, the game was almost done and dusted as City managed to pull two goals clear. Had some neat touches and was able to beat the press of the City midfielders but wasn’t able to influence play much.
Denis Suarez 5
Wasn’t involved much after coming on.
