Manchester City v Arsenal Live Commentary & Result, 26/04/2023, Premier League

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	PTS	Form
1	MCI Manchester City	38	28	5	5	94	33	+61	89	L D W W W
2	ARS Arsenal	38	26	6	6	88	43	+45	84	W L L W W
3	MUN Manchester United	38	23	6	9	58	43	+15	75	W W W W L
4	NEW Newcastle United	38	19	14	5	68	33	+35	71	D D W D L
5	LIV Liverpool	38	19	10	9	75	47	+28	67	D D W W W
6	BHA Brighton & Hove Albion	38	18	8	12	72	53	+19	62	L D W L W
7	AVL Aston Villa	38	18	7	13	51	46	+5	61	W D W L L
8	TOT Tottenham Hotspur	38	18	6	14	70	63	+7	60	W L L W L
9	BRE Brentford	38	15	14	9	58	46	+12	59	W W W L W
10	FUL Fulham	38	15	7	16	55	53	+2	52	L D W W L
11	CRY Crystal Palace	38	11	12	15	40	49	-9	45	D D W L W
12	CHE Chelsea	38	11	11	16	38	47	-9	44	D L L D W
13	WOL Wolverhampton Wanderers	38	11	8	19	31	58	-27	41	L D L W L
14	WHU West Ham United	38	11	7	20	42	55	-13	40	L W L W L
15	BOU AFC Bournemouth	38	11	6	21	37	71	-34	39	L L L L W
16	NFO Nottingham Forest	38	9	11	18	38	68	-30	38	D W D W L
17	EVE Everton	38	8	12	18	34	57	-23	36	W D L W D
18	LEI Leicester City	38	9	7	22	51	68	-17	34	W D L L D
19	LEE Leeds United	38	7	10	21	48	78	-30	31	L L D L L
20	SOU Southampton	38	6	7	25	36	73	-37	25	D L L L L

That's all for today, goodbye.

City are still behind Arsenal in the table. However, they are just two points behind their title rivals despite playing two fewer games. They have now won their last 12 Premier League games against Arsenal and will look to keep their winning run in the league going when they travel to Fulham. As for Arsenal, they have let their strong position in the league slip and are winless in their last four outings. They need to have a perfect end to the season to stand a chance of lifting the trophy and will have the chance to get three points for the first time since the start of April when they host Chelsea.

Manchester City's title hopes are in their own hands after thrashing league leaders Arsenal. The home side dominated the game and took the lead when De Bruyne rushed onto Haaland's pass before finding the bottom corner. The striker was denied a goal of his own after a block from White and a save from Ramsdale, with City scoring a second through Stones. The centre-back got on the end of a free-kick from De Bruyne to power his header into the net, with the goal given after a VAR check. Nine minutes after the restart, Haaland and De Bruyne combined for the second time, with the Belgium international rushing down the left side of the box before curling in his effort. Holding slammed in a consolation before Haaland struck his 49th goal of the season in all competitions. Foden found the lethal striker, with Haaland blasting his shot past Ramsdale.

90' + 6' FULL-TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 4-1 ARSENAL

P. Foden

Assist

90' + 5' Foden makes an immediate impact on his Premier League return. He does brilliantly to control a pass out of the defence, bringing it down before threading a deflected pass through to Haaland. The striker then crashes in City's fourth goal with his sixth shot of the game.

E. Haaland

Goal

90' + 5' GOALLLLL! HAALAND HAS HIS GOAL! 4-1 CITY! He has had to wait for his goal until the final few moments of the game but has finally beaten Ramsdale. Stones' clearing header finds Foden. The substitute brings the ball down on the edge of the box before looking for Haaland. His pass deflects off Holding and to Haaland, with the striker driving a low shot past the goalkeeper.

90' + 4' Nketiah dribbles forward with the ball and into the box on the left side. However, he is unable to get past Stones. The defender matches his run before making a tackle.

90' + 3' Alvarez looks for Foden with a cross from right to left, but he puts too much power on it and it goes out for a goal-kick.

90' + 2' City have let Arsenal have the ball for large parts of the game since the break, but they are now the team that want possession and are playing it around carefully. They do not want to give Arsenal any chance of getting back into the game.

90' There will be five minutes of additional time.

Rodri

Yellow Card

88' Rodri is shown a yellow card for wasting time.

P. Foden

J. Grealish

87' Grealish does not have a goal or an assist but has been a constant threat on the left flank. Foden comes on.

L. Trossard

Assist

87' The Arsenal substitutes have made an impact since coming on. Trossard is careful with the ball on the right side and plays a short pass into the feet of Holding who finishes emphatically. That's his 10th assist of the season.

R. Holding

Goal

86' GOALLLL! HOLDING GETS ONE BACK! 3-1! Trossard drives into the box from the right side after receiving the ball from Jorginho and pokes a pass into the feet of Holding. The centre-back is free in the middle and lashes an effort past Ederson.

85' Partey switches the ball out to the right to Nelson. Up against Akanji, he cannot get his cross around the defender who blocks it out for a corner. City may have shinned in the attack, but they must also thank Akanji. He has had a fantastic game on the left side of the defence.

84' Nelson and Nketiah combine after coming on as substitutes. The former has the ball on the edge of the box and slides it into the path of Nketiah who rushes down the left side of the box. He gets a yard of space and drives a shot across the box, but it goes just wide.

82' Arsenal have scored just three goals in their last 10 Premier League games against City, failing to score on seven occasions. They'd only failed to score in six of their previous 37 against the Citizens in the competition.

E. Nketiah

Gabriel Jesus

80' Jesus is getting a warm reception from the home fans on his way off the pitch. Nketiah takes his place in the attack.

J. Álvarez

K. De Bruyne

80' De Bruyne will not get the chance to complete his hat-trick. Alvarez is on.

R. Nelson

B. Saka

80' The missed free-kick was Saka's last involvement in the game. He is replaced by Nelson who has had a big impact off the bench this season.

79' Saka has a chance to get a goal back from a free-kick from just outside the box but curls his effort well over the target.

77' Ajanji has defended wonderfully today and almost makes an impact in the attack. The defender rushes through the middle of the pitch and plays a one-two with Grealish before trying to play the ball across the box. However, his pass is intercepted.

T. Partey

Yellow Card

76' Partey also receives a yellow card for his part in the incident.

J. Grealish

Yellow Card

75' Grealish collides with Partey off the ball with the pair grabbing each other's shirts. Grealish is shown a yellow card.

73' The game is stopped after Partey's boot collides with Stones' head. The City centre-back was on the floor at the time and remains there as he receives treatment, but will be able to continue.

Substitution

72' Arsenal make their third change of the game. Odegaard is usually one of Arsenal's main creators but has had a frustrating game today. Smith Rowe takes his place.

R. Mahrez

İ. Gündoğan

72' City have a three-goal advantage and are now bringing on a player that scored a hat-trick in their last game. Mahrez replaces Gundogan.

70' Saka is usually a player that is full of confidence but has not shown his ability in this game. He has a chance to dribble straight at Akanji and towards the byline but decides against it and plays a pass inside.

68' A rare moment of sloppiness from De Bruyne. He looks to send a pass into the path of Silva but does not look forward and plays it straight into the feet of Zinchenko. He holds his hand in the air to signal an apology. He has two goals and an assist so far, so has not had a bad game up until this point, to say the least.

66' City have won eight of their last nine Premier League games, including their last six in a row. At home, they've won 17 of their last 19 league games (drawing one, losing one), though their last four defeats at the Etihad have been against London sides (Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Tottenham and Brentford).

64' Grealish has the ball on the left before drifting inside and playing it into the path of Gündogan. The midfielder tries his luck from distance but shoots well over.

62' Arsenal have had the ball for the last couple of minutes, but City have allowed them to have it with the Gunners passing it around their defence. The home side have a comfortable advantage in the game and will be happy with the positions that Arsenal are having the ball.

Jorginho

G. Xhaka

60' Xhaka has been involved in a couple of arguments with City players, most recently with Grealish. He is now coming off with Jorginho on.

L. Trossard

Gabriel Martinelli

60' Arteta makes two changes with Arsenal losing. Martinelli has scored 15 Premier League goals this season but has not been able to make an impact. He is replaced by Trossard.

57' Zinchenko shoots from the edge of the box, with the ball hitting the arm of Haaland and going out for a corner. There is a short VAR check for a possible penalty, but his arms were by his side and nothing is given.

56' City have scored 16 goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half, only Arsenal (17) have scored more in the Premier League this season.

E. Haaland

Assist

55' Haaland is usually the man to score the goals in the big games, but this time he is the one to get two assists in a pivotal match. White and Holding are watching him on the ball, unaware of De Bruyne to their right. Haaland's pass finds the City man who does the rest.

K. De Bruyne

Goal

54' GOALLLL! DE BRUYNE SCORES AGAIN! 3-0 CITY! The game might be beyond Arsenal, as well as the title. De Bruyne gets to the ball before Partey, poking it into the path of Haaland who rushes forward. Nobody tracks the run of De Bruyne, with the City man getting down the left side of the box. Unmarked, he slots his shot through the legs of Holding and into the bottom corner.

52' Great defending from Walker. Zinchenko has the ball on the left and looks like he wants to put a cross into the box, but Walker is there and stops him from getting the space to do so. The former City man then looks to go around him and runs towards the byline, but Walker gets across and lets it go out for a goal-kick.

50' City are unbeaten in their last 39 Premier League matches when leading at half-time (winning 36, drawing three) dating back to 18th May 2021 against Brighton and Hove Albion (L2-3).

48' Arsenal have another chance, but it was not a dangerous one. The away side are patient in possession and work it from right to left. Zinchenko plays a pass into the feet of Xhaka who lashes an attempt towards the goal, but it goes straight at the goalkeeper.

46' Haaland assisted De Bruyne in the early stages of the first half and almost did so at the start of the second. He lifts the ball over the top of the Arsenal defence and into the box with De Bruyne rushing down the right side, but the midfielder misses it.

46' Gundogan gets the ball rolling again.

City will only be disappointed that they do not have a bigger lead going into the break. Haaland physically dominated Holding in the first 45 minutes and should have a goal to his name after having three shots on target. They have been able to build up the ball from the back as well as play a direct style, meaning that Arsenal have found it difficult to defend against them. As for the away side, they need to get Saka and Martinelli more involved. The pair have terrorised full-backs all season with their pace and dribbling ability, but have rarely had the ball and have had just 30 touches combined.

Goals from De Bruyne and Stones have given City a 2-0 lead over title rivals Arsenal heading into the break. The Belgium international broke the deadlock seven minutes into the content, racing onto Haaland's pass before firing the ball into the bottom corner. Haaland then had a couple of great opportunities to double City's advantage. White blocked an effort from close range before Ramsdale made two stellar stops. The former Bournemouth man did well to push a low shot away from danger after the striker had dribbled past a couple of defenders. Gundogan found Haaland with a pass across the box, but the goalkeeper denied him again. However, he could do nothing to stop a powerful header from Stones, with the centre-back getting on the end of a free-kick from De Bruyne.

45' + 5' HALF-TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 2-0 ARSENAL

Rúben Dias

Yellow Card

45' + 4' Dias is given the first yellow card of the game after kicking out on White. He was protecting the ball from the Arsenal right-back, with White having a nibble at him. He did not like it and reacts badly. VAR checks for a possible red card, but it stays at a yellow.

K. De Bruyne

Assist

45' + 2' De Bruyne now has a goal and an assist to his name. He gets his 16th assist of the season after finding Stones with a perfect free-kick.

J. Stones

Goal

45' + 1' GOALLLLL! STONES SCORES! 2-0 CITY! That could be a huge moment in the race for the title. De Bruyne curls a free-kick into the box with Stones running away from White before powering his header into the net. The goal stands after a VAR check. White's foot was keeping Stones onside.

45' + 1' OFFSIDE BUT THERE IS A VAR CHECK! De Bruyne curls a free-kick into the box after Silva runs over the ball. He finds Stones who gets away from his marker, with the defender powering his header across the goal and past Ramsdale. However, as soon as it goes in the flag goes up. There is a VAR check.

44' City have beaten Arsenal twice this season, winning 3-1 in the Premier League and 1-0 in the FA Cup. They've already beaten the Gunners three times in a single season twice before (2017-18 and 2020-21) – only Liverpool have ever beaten them three times in three different campaigns (1994-95, 1996-97 and 2021-22).

43' Saka takes the following corner, but Ederson is there to punch it away. He has another go at putting the ball into the box, but it goes over everyone and out for a goal-kick.

42' Zinchenko curls a dangerous corner into the box with Dias heading it behind. He gets a light touch on the ball, taking it away from Saka who was making a run towards the ball behind him.

40' SAVE! If Arsenal get back into the game it will be because of Ramsdale. Gundogan gets down the left and towards the byline, dribbling past Partey before cutting the ball into the middle of the box. Haaland is there and looks to have a simple finish, but the Arsenal goalkeeper blocks his effort before clearing it away.

38' The game is stopped with Partey holding his head after clashing with Haaland off the ball. The Arsenal man will be able to continue.

36' Grealish has the ball on the left flank inside Arsenal's half and plays the ball inside to Haaland. The striker has nobody around him and drives towards the box with White running towards his own goal. He shifts the ball onto his left foot before firing his effort wide of the post from inside the box.

35' Chance for Arsenal. Odegaard plays the ball down the right flank to Saka before receiving it back from the England international. He then slots the ball into the path of Partey on the edge of the box, with the midfielder curling his shot wide.

33' Arsenal are starting to show a bit more intent in City's defensive third. Akanji takes too long on the ball with Saka blocking a pass out for a goal-kick.

32' Grealish chips the ball down the left side of the box after spotting Haaland's run. He strikes the ball towards the goal from a tight angle, with Ramsdale beating his effort away.

30' City have only lost one of their last 53 Premier League matches after scoring first (winning 47, drawing five), losing 2-1 at Manchester United in January.

28' SAVE! Ramsdale with an important stop this time. Haaland gets down the right side of the box and twists past a Holding and Zinchenko before curling a left-footed shot towards the bottom corner. Ramsdale reads it well and pushes the ball away from De Bruyne who was ready for the rebound.

26' BLOCK! White makes a brilliant block to save Arsenal from conceding another. Haaland and Holding get into a race for the ball with the City man getting there first. He slots it into the path of De Bruyne who rushes into the box and turns past Gabriel. He takes a shot from close range, but White slides in to make the block.

24' Xhaka takes a long time to take a free-kick, eventually chipping the ball into the box. Gabriel rises the highest, but his attempt is poor with it going well wide of the target.

22' Silva drives into the box from the right and looks to curl a shot around Gabriel and into the bottom corner. However, his effort is tame and goes straight at Ramsdale.

20' Arsenal have lost their last 11 Premier League games against City, their longest losing streak against an opponent in their league history.

19' Arsenal are now sitting a bit deeper to try and stay compact. They do not want to be blown away in the first 19 minutes and are waiting for their opportunity, rather than force an attack.

17' Haaland gives City an outlet when Arsenal look to press their defence. He is a physical presence in the attack and is able to take the ball down and bring Grealish and De Bruyne into play. He has had the beating of Holding so far.

15' Arsenal have the ball for a couple of minutes, but it has all been in their own defensive third. City are not allowing them a moment of rest and eventually force Ramsdale to launch the ball off the pitch.

13' Arsenal have been at their best this season when they have utilised their wingers, but City are doing well to stop the threat. They are pressing them high up the pitch, not allowing them to move into space. Akanji has kept Saka quiet, with Walker forcing Martinelli back.

11' De Bruyne tries to play the ball into the feet of Haaland with the striker racing through the middle of the pitch, but the striker does not know where the ball is. Gabriel tracks his run and intercepts the pass.

9' De Bruyne has scored seven Premier League goals against Arsenal, that's two more than he has against any other side.

E. Haaland

Assist

7' Haaland did brilliantly to control a long ball out of the defence with Holding rushing towards him. He brings it down and plays it into space with De Bruyne moving into it. The City man gets the ball onto his right foot and beats the goalkeeper.

K. De Bruyne

Goal

7' GOAALLLLLL! DE BRUYNE SCORES! 1-0 CITY! De Bruyne has got plenty of assists for Haaland this season, but it is the other way around this time. Haaland chests the ball down under pressure from Holding before setting it to De Bruyne. The Belgium international rushes down the middle of the pitch before beating Ramsdale with a low shot into the bottom corner.

5' Saka pokes the ball to Martinelli down the right before rushing towards the byline. He gets the ball back and looks to pull it across the box towards Jesus with the City defence clearing it away. The home side want the offside flag to go up against Martinelli, but nothing is given.

3' Grealish gets down the left flank and whips the ball across the box with Ramsdale pushing it away rather than claiming it. Partey and De Bruyne race towards the rebound with the Arsenal man getting there first and winning a free-kick.

1' Arsenal get this game under way. Jesus with the first kick in this crucial fixture at the top of the Premier League table.

City have won all six of their Premier League home games against Arsenal under Guardiola by an aggregate score of 17-3. They last lost at home to the Gunners in January 2015 (0-2).

Arsenal make one alteration to the side that drew with Southampton in their last Premier League outing. Xhaka is back in the squad and starts in the midfield instead of Vieira.

City makes five changes to the team that beat Sheffield United in the FA Cup. Ederson retains his Premier League place and replaces Ortega in the goalkeeping position. Dias starts at centre-back instead of Laporte, with Stones and Rodri playing just ahead of the defence. As a result, Gomez and Alvarez are out of the team. Mahrez scored a hat-trick in the previous match but is replaced by De Bruyne.

ARSENAL SUBS: Matt Turner, Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, Jakub Kiwior, Leandro Trossard, Jorginho, Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson.

ARSENAL (4-3-3): Aaron Ramsdale; Ben White, Rob Holding, Gabriel Magalhaes, Oleksandr Zinchenko; Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka; Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli.

MANCHESTER CITY SUBS: Stefan Ortega, Kalvin Phillips, Aymeric Laporte, Julian Alvarez, Sergio Gomez, Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis.

MANCHESTER CITY (3-2-4-1): Ederson; Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji; John Stones, Rodri; Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Jack Grealish; Erling Haaland.

Arsenal’s push for their first Premier League title since 2004 has taken a significant blow after a poor run of results. After thrashing Leeds United at the start of April, the north London outfit had played one game more than City but had an eight-point advantage over them. However, they have not won any of their last three games. Mikel Arteta’s side failed to hold onto two-goal leads against Liverpool and West Ham, drawing both games, before needing a late comeback to salvage a point against strugglers Southampton. Despite dropping six points in their last three matches, Arsenal will still have their fate in their own hands if they beat City.

Manchester City cruised past Sheffield United in their previous match to progress to the FA Cup final and keep their hopes of a treble-winning season alive. Still in the Champions League, Pep Guardiola’s men now turn their attention to the Premier League and will be favourites for the title with a draw or a win against league leaders Arsenal. City are five points behind the Gunners but have played two games less. As a result, a perfect end to the campaign will guarantee them their third successive title. The Citizens have been in formidable form in the league, winning eight of their last nine games, drawing the other one.

Hello and welcome to the live commentary for the Premier League clash between Manchester City and Arsenal.

Manchester City v Arsenal Live Commentary, 26/04/2023

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