Manchester City won a 1-0 victory over Arsenal in the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium, London, Monday (22/2).
Man City were 1-0 up when the game had only been running for two minutes. Riyad Mahrez’s cross at the far post was reached by Raheem Sterling with a header that shook Bernd Leno’s goal.
After winning 1-0, Man City became more comfortable playing. The Citizens could easily master the game because Arsenal players chose to play waiting in their own defense.
In the 28th minute, Man City created another opportunity this time through Mahrez. However, Mahrez’s left footed shot was blocked by Arsenal players.
Nearing the end of the first half, Arsenal began to trouble Man City’s defense. The movements of Kieran Tierney and Bukayo Saka on the offensive side often make it difficult for Pep Guardiola’s squad to defend themselves.
In the 44th minute, Arsenal got a chance to equalize through Nicolas Pepe. However, the wild ball from Hector Bellerin’s shot was not able to be used by Pepe because his shot was not on target.
In the second half, Gundogan got a chance in the 56th minute to double Man City’s lead. Gundogan aimed the ball at the far post but Leno managed to thwart him while dropping.
Arsenal tried to respond to the pressure given by Man City. Opportunities also came through Mohamed Elneny but the Egyptian midfielder’s speculative shot was far from being on target.
Man City even came close to winning 2-0 in the 79th minute. Joao Cancelo, who rose to help the attack, managed to outwit Pablo Mari and fired a kick using the outer leg that was thin to the right of Arsenal’s goal.
After that, Arsenal and Man City took turns applying pressure. However, no goals were scored until the referee blew the whistle at the end of the second half.
This victory made Man City even stronger at the top of the standings. Sterling et al collected 59 points, 10 points ahead of Leicester City who finished second in the standings.
Referring to Squawka’s data, the victory over Arsenal made Man City their 18th consecutive win in all competitions. Of the 18 victories, 12 of them occurred in the Premier League.
Man City last failed to win on December 15, 2020. At that time, The Citizens who were playing at home had to settle for a 1-1 draw against West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League.
Man City actually took the lead in the match thanks to Ilkay Gundogan’s goal. However, Ruben Dias’ own goal meant Man City could only win one point at the Etihad Stadium.
The 10-point difference over Leicester makes Man City even more favorites to win the Premier League title this season. Moreover, the big teams that are under Man City, such as Man Utd, Chelsea or Liverpool have problems with consistency.
Man City even has the opportunity to continue to run fast in the title race. This is because in the next four matches in the Premier League, Man City will play as host.
Man City will host West Ham United (27/2), Wolverhampton Wanderers (2/3), Man Utd (7/3), and Southampton (10/3).
