Manchester City vs Arsenal 4-1 – as it happened
All the updates from the likely title decider between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium.
This blog is now closed, thank you for joining us. These were all the updates from the Premier League clash between Manchester City and Arsenal on Wednesday, April 26.
This blog is now closed, thank you for joining us. These were all the updates from the Premier League clash between Manchester City and Arsenal on Wednesday, April 26.
- Manchester City demolish Arsenal 4-1 to take control in the Premier League title race.
- City are the defending champions, while Arsenal are looking for their first Premier League title since 2004.
- Arsenal have now lost their last eight meetings with City in all competitions and have still not won at Manchester City in the league since 2015.
- City striker Erling Haaland scored to move just one goal away from matching the all-time Premier League record of 34 goals in a season and 50 in all competitions in his first year in English football.
- Live updates
- Match stats
- Lineups
Signing off
Arsenal’s title ambitions may not be fully done yet but our live blog for tonight certainly is.
Thank you for joining us and good night.
Haaland is making it look too easy
The Premier League is the most competitive league in the world? Hmmm, try telling Haaland that. He’s already got 33 goals in 32 games. The only teams he hasn’t scored against this year are Chelsea and Brentford, but they both play City in the next few weeks so he’ll soon be able to put that blemish right.
7️⃣ #PL wins in a row! ✨
🔵 4-1 🔴 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/aGw3Jwgnrz
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 26, 2023
Arsenal qualify for next season’s Champions League
As far as silver linings go, Champions League qualification isn’t bad, is it?
Results elsewhere in the Premier League mean the Gunners will be returning to the CL after seven long years. If you’d told an Arsenal fan at the start of the season that they’d have the top four secured with a month of the season to go, they’d have taken it in a heartbeat.
Majestic City
They’re going to win the treble, aren’t they? Tonight, they knew exactly when to click into gear, when to sit back and when to go for the kill. It was an alpha performance. There’s an underlying belief.
What now for Arsenal?
Forget trying to win, Arsenal didn’t even compete here. Ultimately, today’s result shouldn’t be the barometer by which their season should be gauged. Many top teams have come to City and lost in this manner. Look at what happened to Bayern a couple of weeks ago.
So brush yourself off Arsenal, puff out your chest and finish the season on a high, if not at the top. Arsenal fans, I’d tell you to pray that City drop points in the next few weeks but we know that isn’t likely to happen.
Haaland sets a new record
ERLING HAALAND BREAKS MO SALAH'S RECORD FOR THE MOST GOALS IN A 38-GAME PREMIER LEAGUE SEASON (33) 😱🏆 pic.twitter.com/29WK963QFW
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 26, 2023
FULL TIME: Man City 4-1 Arsenal
A dominant performance from City tonight. They’ve smoked Arsenal here. They’re two points behind Arsenal now but they’ve got two games in hand. The title is theirs to lose.
GOAL!
Haaland gets the fourth. Told you it was an impossible task for Arsenal. He’s played into the middle and slots home. It’s not the cleanest finish but it doesn’t matter.
His hairband is off, locks are flowing and boy, do they look majestic. He’s such a showman, this guy.
90+5 mins: Man City 4-1 Arsenal
Can someone tell Pep to smile?
He’s still bellowing instructions on the touchline, eyebrows furrowed. What a man.
90+2 mins: Man City 3-1 Arsenal
Five minutes of added time
Five minutes for Arsenal to do the impossible … prevent City from scoring a fourth that is.
90+1 mins: Man City 3-1 Arsenal
Another Arsenal comeback?
On Friday, Arsenal found themselves in a similar situation against Southampton and clawed their way back into the game after scoring twice in three minutes in the dying embers of the match.
89 mins: Man City 3-1 Arsenal
GOAL!
Holding scores for Arsenal. The ball falls to him in the box after a darting Trossard run into the box and from 20 yards out – he lashes home. Nice finish but surely just a consolation goal.
87 mins: Man City 3-1 Arsenal
Arsenal subs combine well
Nelson deftly breaks and shifts the ball wide to Nketiah, who plays a dangerous cross across the face of the goal. But, there’s no red shirt at hand and Ederson watches it go safely past him.
83 mins: Man City 3-0 Arsenal
Surely Haaland isn’t human
Erling Haaland now has seven PL assists this season — matching Paul Scholes' best return in a single PL campaign
— Duncan Alexander (@oilysailor) April 26, 2023
De Bruyne bows out
A Hall of Fame performance from the Belgian wizard tonight. He leaves the pitch to a hero’s ovation and is replaced by Julian Alvarez.
For Arsenal, Saka and Jesus are replaced by Nketiah and Nelson. Nice to see the former City man Jesus being clapped by a section of the home fans.
80 mins: Man City 3-0 Arsenal
Free-kick for Arsenal
And in a good position too. Rodri handles the ball on the edge of the box.
Saka, who won the free kick, takes it and shoots well over.
78 mins: Man City 3-0 Arsenal
Partey and Grealish booked
A fracas breaks out between the two, with a sprinkling of shoving and swearing. Partey’s been off-kilter today and his frustration has grown through the game.
76 mins: Man City 3-0 Arsenal
Arsenal fans sing in defiance
Loud chants of “We love you Arsenal, we do” ring around the Etihad. The players’ heads have dropped but their fans are standing tall with their chests out. No matter how it ends, it has been a season to remember for these Gooners.
74 mins: Man City 3-0 Arsenal
Changes for both sides
Gundogan is replaced by Mahrez for City.
Arsenal’s Smith Rowe comes on for Odegaard.
71 mins: Man City 3-0 Arsenal
Arsenal keep the ball
City are more than happy to let Arsenal keep the ball here. The press has dropped but they aren’t being troubled in the slightest. Ederson has had little to do today.
70 mins: Man City 3-0 Arsenal
City are coasting
They’ve killed the game. Arsenal look incredibly listless here – passes are being under-hit, crosses misplaced and heads have dropped.
This feels like the biggest gap between the billing of a game and the actual competitiveness of it that I can ever remember?
— Jack Pitt-Brooke (@JackPittBrooke) April 26, 2023
Spare a thought for Ramsdale
Just moments before the goal, Aaron Ramsdale expertly saved a Haaland one vs one chance. He’s made a string of superb saves today, but he’s already picked the ball out from his goal three times. If it wasn’t for him, City would be 6-0 up. No exaggeration.
Meanwhile, Arsenal make some changes. Jorginho and Trossard are on, Martinelli and Xhaka are off.
60 mins: Man City 3-0 Arsenal
The Etihad is bouncing
And why would it not be? City have put on a show for their fans tonight. Their experience and class have come to the fore this evening.
56 mins: Man City 3-0 Arsenal
GOAL
De Bruyne gets his second. Played in by Haaland, he takes a touch and calmly slots past Ramsdale. Exquisite.
53 mins: Man City 3-0 Arsenal