Arsenal thrashed Manchester City 5-1 in a match that exposed the defensive vulnerabilities of Pep Guardiola’s team. The game started with an error from Manuel Akanji, allowing Declan Rice to win the ball back, and after a combination with Kai Havertz and Martin Ødegaard, put Arsenal 1-0 ahead in the 2nd minute. While City dominated possession, David Raya prevented them from equalizing with several key saves.

Manchester City equalized in the 55th minute when Erling Haaland headed in a cross from Savinho to make it 1-1. However, just two minutes later, Thomas Partey put Arsenal back ahead with a shot deflected off John Stones, and Lewis-Skelly made it 3-1 with a simple finish inside the box.

With City clearly struggling, Kai Havertz scored the 4-1 on a counterattack, and in the final minutes, Ethan Nwaneri completed the rout with the 5-1. Manchester City didn’t take another shot on target after Haaland’s goal, further highlighting their defensive issues.

Arsenal continues to chase Liverpool, who remain in first place with a six-point lead. Meanwhile, Manchester City is drifting away from the title race, showing clear defensive shortcomings that need to be addressed if they want to maintain their level.