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Sport Nation
Title-chasing Arsenal sends warning with Man City thumping
Andrew Slevison • February 3rd, 2025 9:24 am
Arsenal remains hot on the heels of Premier League title favourites Liverpool.
The Gunners thumped Manchester City 5-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday to move within six points of the Reds who do have a game in hand.
While the margin between the two main title chasers might be seen as significant, this performance form Mikel Arteta’s men will show Arne Slot’s Merseysiders that Arsena does mean business and have the ability to beat anybody on their day.
Arteta’s triumph over his former master Pep Guardiola started inside two minutes when the Gunners pressed the City defence, resulting in Kai Havertz teeing up captain Martin Odegaard who duly tucked it away.
The North London outfit found themselves level when 10 minutes into the second half City striker Erling Haaland nodded home his 250th club goal.
But from there on it was an Arsenal onslaught with Thomas Partey’s deflected 56th-minute effort, youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly’s first senior goal, Havertz’s ninth league goal and 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri’s superb injury-time effort capping a magical day.
It was the performances of youth academy products Lewis-Skelly, who played at left full-back, and Nwaneri, a late sub, that stood out to Arteta.
"A lot of people in the academy have contributed to it," said the Spaniard.
"Hopefully they are really proud.
"He (Lewis-Skelly) wants to make things happen, he takes initiative. At that age, its not easy to see."
The Gunners have not lost in the league since early December as they continue their pursuit of Liverpool.
In other Sunday fixtures, Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham beat Brentford 2-0 away while Manchester United copped another defeat under new manager Ruben Amorim in the form of a 2-0 home result against Crystal Palace.
