Haaland is in charge here

It was the most important game of the season. The most anticipated. High hopes were placed in the confrontation between Gunners and skyblues at the Emirates Stadium, and this one did not disappoint. The one who showed the most enthusiasm before and during the match was the local side, but history repeated itself. The three points would fly directly to Manchester and the Mancunian side would extend their consecutive Premier League games to 11, defeating Arsenal. Without Thomas Partey and after a serious mistake by Takekirou Tomiyasu before half an hour into the match, the effectiveness of Pep Guardiola’s pupils surpassed the local team. Although Bukayo Saka managed to tie the match before the break, Erling Haaland returned to make an appearance. Mikel Arteta’s men still have a postponed game left, but Manchester City is already here: Londoners and Mancunians tie at 51 points at the top of the table.

Two errors: one from Tomiyasu, another from VAR

Both around the Emirates Stadium and, above all, inside it, there was an atmosphere of an important match. There was, no matter how much both coaches opposed it in the run-up to the match, more than three points at stake. with the temple Gunner In the form of a pressure cooker, Mikel Arteta’s pupils had no choice but to come out with the knife between their teeth. There was intensity during the first bars of the game, but not so much football. Neither locals nor visitors were capable of imposing themselves, of gaining control of the ball. Mikel Arteta did not seem to like the foul called on Eddie Nketiah, when Nathan Aké cleared the ball inside the area almost at the height of his player’s ankle, as the clear missed opportunity by the English striker himself. Oleksandr Zinchenko put a measured ball to the offensive reference of the Gunnersbut his header went wide.

Of course, the Spanish coach of Arsenal had to like the resounding mistake made by Takehiro Tomiyasu at 24 minutes even less. The bad and short assignment of today’s local right-hander to Aaron Ramsdale caught the English goalkeeper out of place. Kevin de Bruyne intercepted the ball on the edge of the area and lifted it past the goalkeeper with a shot with a twist to make it 0-1. “Champions, champions”, chanted the Manchester City fans who traveled to the Emirates Stadium. Nervousness seized both the followers Gunners like the Arsenal players themselves. The Japanese international himself was about to redeem himself from his mistake, but his shot from the penalty spot after a rebounded cross, as well as a great opportunity from Bukayo Saka from inside the area, went to limbo.

Both the stands of the Emirates Stadium had protested Ederson’s continuous waste of time, and Mikel Arteta the referee’s error in the last game against Brentford, which the local fans and coach got away with in the 42nd minute. While Eddie Nketiah was still watching from the ground as Nathan Aké cleared his shot over the line, Anthony Taylor did not hesitate to award a penalty. Players skyblues they did not give credit. The Brazilian goalkeeper took the striker ahead Gunnerbut when this had already finished. The VAR did not contradict the decision of the British referee and Bukayo Saka was in charge of executing the maximum penalty. The Arsenal star did not fail. Although the youth squad Gunner signed the tie from the penalty spot on the brink of half-time, Pep Guardiola’s men still had time to give the locals one last scare before the first 45 minutes were up. The crossbar prevented Rodri Hernández’s forced shot from a corner kick from making it 1-2.

Grealish’s Awakening

As much as the players of both teams had gone to the changing rooms for 15 minutes, the game did not lose an iota of intensity. The clash between Kevin de Bruyne and Mikel Arteta on the wing, who once shared a team in the box citizen, the clearest example of this. Neither intensity nor emotion. Not even 10 minutes into the second half and Anthony Taylor whistled the second penalty of the night. The power of Erling Haaland passed over Gabriel Magalhães, who ended up stopping the Norwegian with a free kick inside the area. So, again the VAR, saved the Gunners. The Manchester City forward started from an illegal position at the start of the race and the decision made by the English referee was annulled. Pep Guardiola lamented on the bench.

Then the party went crazy. without any control by Gunners either citizens, the occasions followed one another team. The ball went from one goal to another. From the pass of death that Eddie Nketiah failed to catch in front of the goal to the failure in the departure of the ball from the locals that Erling Haaland was about to take advantage of. The one who didn’t waste his chance was Jack Grealish. Who seemed to be a lost cause for the interests of the Mancunian team is becoming one of the great pillars of Pep Guardiola’s attack this season. So much so that the English winger scored 1-2 for his private account in minute 72.. Erling Haaland yielded up front for Ilkay Gündogan, he did the same for the ’10’ of the skyblues, and the focused but powerful shot slipped through the hands of Aaron Ramsdale. The visitors were back in front.

An advantage that, with seven minutes remaining in the match, Manchester City made sure to expand. Erling Haaland had three games without seeing the goal with the Mancunians. Well, what better occasion than against the leader of the Premier League to meet again with the goal? Combination of the citizens At the edge of the area, Kevin de Bruyne passed into the area and the Norwegian beast sent him into the back of the goal. Now yes, the three points seemed to already be the property of the Mancunian team. Those of Mikel Arteta did not cease in their efforts, but the match was seen to be sentenced. Again, while the players citizens They were celebrating the victory with their team, the words: “Champions, champions…” sounded again in the visiting stands..