City was often open at the back while its build-up play was slow from the central midfield, where Yaya Toure and Fernando were deputizing for the suspended Fernandinho and the injured Ilkay Gundogan.
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Twice in a single week, the Gunners scored the first goal, only to fumble the lead and lose 2-1.
City were firmly on top as Pep Guardiola’s side snatched the momentum from their opponents, who were looking short of ideas.
The City boss has been criticised for his approach after successive defeats to Chelsea and Leicester City and saying that he wasn’t too concerned about his side’s poor tackling.
Despite owning the last two Champions League spots in the table, both Arsenal and Manchester City have armed critics with plenty of skepticism over whether either or both can possibly overtake Chelsea by season’s end heading into Sunday’s crunch clash of these top-four teams at the Etihad.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said his side had fallen to “two offside goals” and suggested match officials were unfairly protected from criticism, likening them to “lions in the zoo”.
“I am so pragmatic”.
“I think that the fight will be tighter and more hard than ever and that we have an opportunity to prove that we can deal with the new competition”. “I’m here because I won”.
“In my job, people who like losing – believe me – they don’t last a long time”, he said on Friday. I’m so pragmatic, guys. “I don’t see why that should turn up in every press conference”.
For Arsenal as well, they will miss of their high-profiled players including Shkodran Mustafi and Santi Cazorla.
“When I was in Munich I spoke with Xabi Alonso, and he said: “You’ll have to have to adapt to the second balls”. You have to adapt to the second ball, and the third ball and the fourth.
“We have done extremely well, but what is important in football is that you respond and that we focus to do better in the future”. “I love him, but the others deserved to play and I chose to give the same back four a chance”.
“In Germany, it was more physical a little bit, but not like here”, he added. “They physically just dropped in the second half”.
Back on track: Manchester City disposed of Arsenal in a crucial win to their title chances.
Guardiola said: “I just apologised to John because he didn’t deserve to be left out”.
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“And concerning the referee: yes, I don’t agree with the performance of the referee against us on Tuesday night, but I didn’t say a word about it (after the game)”. The victories give a lot of confidence in the mind of the players in what we are trying to do. He’s the chief for Arsenal! All these players are in great form, and scoring goals, and more importantly Arsenal have looked a potent force with Sanchez leading the line. We met each other quite well.
