Arsenal were handed a stark reminder as to why Man City are the current Premier League champions on Wednesday night as Pep Guardiola's men took full advantage of several costly Gunners mistakes.
Takehiro Tomiyasu's misplaced back pass found a lethal Kevin De Bruyne and it was the Belgian who gave City the lead in the 24th minute after lobbing a helpless Aaron Ramsdale. Arsenal reacted well and their pressure eventually paid off when Eddie Nketiah won a penalty five minutes before the break. Up stepped a calm and composed Bukayo Saka, who made no mistake from the spot despite Ederson's best efforts to distract him.
Unfortunately for Arsenal, they could not replicate the same level of quality and intensity in the second half. A weak forward pass from Gabriel Magalhaes gifted City the chance to unleash a swift counter-attack, with Jack Grealish finishing off a well-worked goal to punish the home side. Erling Haaland wrapped things up for the Citizens with nine minutes to go, slotting the ball into the bottom corner following a De Bruyne cross to ensure all three points were heading back to Manchester.
READ MORE: Every word Mikel Arteta said on Tomiyasu error, Gabriel mistake, Partey injury and Man City loss
The defeat is undoubtedly a gutting blow for Mikel Arteta and his side, who now find themselves second in the table on goal difference. With 16 fixtures to go, however, the title race is still very much alive and in Arsenal's control with a game in hand. Here, football.london takes a look at some of the moments you may have missed during all the action.
Jorginho shouts at Odegaard
It probably wasn't a match in which Jorginho expected to make his first Arsenal start, but an injury to Thomas Partey saw the deadline day recruit take on a big responsibility in midfield. Although his signing has divided opinion among supporters, there has been no doubting the 31-year-old's experience and leadership qualities, which were on show throughout.
Jorginho could be seen shouting and instructing every single one of his teammates, including captain Martin Odegaard, who was not in a position to the Italian's liking. In addition to his demands, Jorginho was arguably one of, if not the best Arsenal player on the pitch. He looked composed on the ball, made some nice passes and was always very progressive in possession, gaining many plaudits from fans after the game.
Tomiyasu chant
His costly mistake that gifted Man City the opening goal meant It was a very rare evening for Takehiro Tomiyasu to forget, but the response within the Stadium should leave his head held high. As De Bruyne celebrated, a roaring home crowd could be heard as they attempted to pick up the Arsenal players before breaking into the "super Tomiyasu" chant whilst several teammates went over to console him.
It was not the first time Arsenal supporters have backed a player following a costly error, with the same thing happening to William Saliba after he scored an own goal against Leicester earlier in the season. It highlights the special togetherness that now surrounds the club, which has played such an important role in helping the team achieve what it has so far.
Arteta and De Bruyne embrace
Considering Arteta has a close relationship with several Man City stars following his time as Guardiola's assistant, it was perhaps a surprise to see him clash with De Bruyne on the touchline. As De Bruyne attempted to retrieve the ball after it went out of play, Arteta rather cheekily took it away from him with his feet, prompting the Belgian to shove his former coach before pointing a finger towards his face.
A few heated words were also exchanged between the two, but it wasn't enough to prevent them from sharing a warm embrace at full-time. The pair could be seen smiling as they put their arms around each other after the final whistle, suggesting the earlier confrontation was only a heat of the moment incident and nothing more.
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