By Olaitan Ibrahim
In a scintillating display of football, Arsenal thrashed Manchester City 5-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, maintaining their relentless pursuit of Premier League leaders, Liverpool.
From the first whistle, the Gunners delivered a masterclass, asserting their dominance over the defending champions and sending a message to their title rivals.
The early stages saw Arsenal took control as captain Martin Ødegaard opened the scoring in the 2nd minute, calmly finishing a perfect ball from Kai Havertz.
Despite a near goal from Gabriel Martinelli ruled offside in the 6th minute, the Gunners were firmly in the driving seat.
City’s response came in the 55th minute when Erling Haaland, as clinical as ever, converted a header from a brilliant cross by Savinho, leveling the score at 1-1.
But Arsenal were quick to answer. Less than a minute later, Thomas Partey punished a mistake by the City defence, rifling the ball into the net to restore Arsenal’s lead, 2-1.
The Gunners’ grip on the game tightened as the match progressed. In the 62nd minute, Declan Rice’s perfectly weighted pass found Myles Lewis-Skelly, who showed ice-cold composure to make it 3-1.
City struggled to respond, and it was left to Kai Havertz to put the final nail in the coffin in the 76th minute, finishing a precise pass from Martinelli to make it 4-1 victory.
Arsenal completed the rout on added time, as Ethan Nwaneri met a perfect cross from Declan Rice on the edge of the penalty area and controlled it with a nice first touch. He produced an accurate strike straight into the left side of the goal to seal a dominant 5-1 victory.
With the emphatic win, Arsenal remain hot on the heels of Liverpool, proving they are more than capable of challenging for the Premier League crown.