Pep Guardiola celebrated with his players like they knew this was a huge moment in the title race.
Manchester City returned to the Premier League summit, they held their nerve and stepped up to the challenge with a huge statement victory at the Emirates. It was Guardiola who warned that City will not give up the title without a fight and the plain truth is that Arsenal are not yet ready to wrestle it off the reigning champions.
Arsenal have chosen exactly the wrong moment to have their first wobble of the season and, in the space of 11 days, they have gone from blowing the chance to go eight points clear at the top to surrendering top spot. City were just too good, too strong as Erling Haaland bullied Arsenal’s centre halves into submission, scored his 26th Premier League goal of the season while he now has 32 in all competitions.
Arsenal could not handle Haaland, Jack Grealish tricked and teased them into submission and now Mikel Arteta’s biggest job will be to stop his team from crumbling altogether.
They lost at Everton a week last Saturday, drew at home to Brentford amid VAR controversy last weekend and then suffered another defeat - their 11th in a row to City in the Premier League - to leave them looking vulnerable and disheartened.
It was an even first half, Arsenal may be even shaded it, but City showed their class in the second half when they found an extra gear and delivering under pressure is why Guardiola’s men have become serial winners.
Arsenal, meanwhile, made too many mistakes, too many careless errors and, even though this title challenge was completely unexpected, once you get there it is wasteful to let the opportunity slip away.
City suddenly look red-hot favourites to win the title, it is the first time they have finished a match round top since August - albeit they were top briefly in November - but the baton of title favourites has been handed to Guardiola’s men.
Arsenal opened the door too many times. It was Takehiro Tomiyasu’s mistake after 24 minutes, the Arsenal full back’s careless back pass let in Kevin De Bruyne whose instinctive but brilliant lob caught Aaron Ramsdale off his line and dropped perfectly just inside the post.
In fairness, Arsenal did not let their heads drop. They roared back. Eddie Nketiah won a penalty when Ederson wiped him out but where the City keeper was supposed to go is anyone’s guess. It did not look a penalty but Bukayo Saka slotted it home to level.
City served a warning before half time when Rodri’s header was deflected onto the bar by Nathan Ake. But Pep’s half time pep talk worked as he solved all the problems like Bernardo Silva getting exposed as an auxiliary left back, Riyad Mahrez was awful and Ilkay Gundogan got into the game.
Arsenal were hard done by VAR against Brentford on Saturday but video technology overturned a penalty decision against Gabriel for a pull back on Haaland because the City striker had been offside.
The reprieve did not last long. Another Gabriel mistake gifted City possession, Haaland drove forward and his cross field pass was helped on by Ilkay Gundogan to Jack Grealish who swept home past Ramsdale.
It was a hammer blow for Arsenal and this time the heads did drop. Gundogan started the move again for the third goal after 82 minutes before De Bruyne’s cross set up Haaland to steer the ball into the far corner.
Now City are back on top, you suspect they are there to stay.
