Arsenal vs Manchester City Review
Kai Havertz contributed a goal and an assist to help Arsenal maintain their slim chances of winning the Premier League title, as the German was one of five different scorers in a dominant 5-1 victory over Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium. This win marked Arsenal’s 14th consecutive league match without defeat. Just two minutes into the match, Manuel Akanji lost possession 25 yards from his own goal, allowing Kai Havertz to set up Martin Ødegaard for an easy tap-in. City’s goalkeeper, Stefan Ortega, was nearly picking the ball out of the net again shortly after when Gabriel Martinelli scored, but the goal was disallowed due to Martinelli being offside in the buildup.
Pep Guardiola’s struggling team didn’t manage to challenge David Raya until midway through the first half, but when they finally did, Raya made an incredible one-handed save to deny Joško Gvardiol from close range. Shortly after, City found themselves in trouble again as Mateo Kovačić lost the ball 20 yards from goal, but an unmarked Kai Havertz surprisingly missed the chance, shooting wide with only Ortega to beat.
Despite Erling Haaland having just six touches in the first half, he quickly equalized after the break, showing great composure to head in a cross from Savinho at the far post. However, just as they had equalized, they conceded again. A rare careless pass from Phil Foden was intercepted by Thomas Partey, who advanced from midfield and saw his shot, heavily deflected, find the corner of the net.
The Gunners were unlikely to feel secure with just a one-goal advantage, so it was expected that they would pursue a third goal, which came from the Myles Lewis-Skelly, who skillfully curled the ball into the far corner. This didn’t motivate City; instead, it fueled Arsenal’s determination, leading to a fourth goal nearly 15 minutes later when Havertz redeemed himself for a previous miss by curling the ball into the far corner following a rapid Gunners counterattack.
A visibly frustrated Guardiola was unable to alter the outcome as his team fell eleven points further behind in the title race, suffering only their second defeat in the last 41 Premier League matches since January. The day was a triumph for Arsenal, as they achieved their longest unbeaten league streak since 2018, capping it off with a fifth goal from Ethan Nwaneri at the very end of the match.