Arsenal Rips Through City to Keep Title Hopes Alive

Arsenal turned on the style at the Emirates, tearing through Manchester City in a stunning 5-1 rout.

February 2, 2025
8:28 pm

A goal and an assist from Kai Havertz helped Arsenal keep their slim Premier League title hopes alive as the Gunners crushed Manchester City 5-1 in a stunning show at the Emirates. Mikel Arteta’s squad stretched their unbeaten league run to 14 matches, putting on a performance full of energy, skill, and flair against the struggling champions.

After making it to the Champions League midweek, City might have thought they were back on track. But that dream was shattered in just two minutes. Manuel Akanji hesitated near his own box, letting Havertz swoop in and set up Martin Ødegaard for an easy goal. It was a rough start for Pep Guardiola’s team, and it almost got worse when Gabriel Martinelli lifted the ball over Stefan Ortega, only to be stopped by an offside call.

City, looking sluggish and out of sorts, had a hard time getting a grip on the Gunners, with their first real chance coming midway through the half. When it finally came, David Raya made an amazing one-handed save to deny Joško Gvardiol from close range. Arsenal’s high press kept causing problems, and Mateo Kovačić was the next to slip up near his own goal, giving Havertz a golden chance. Somehow, the German shot wide, letting City off the hook.

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The visitors, who had been slow for most of the first half, shocked the Emirates with an equalizer just after the break. Erling Haaland, who had only six touches in the first half, sneaked in at the far post to head home a great cross from Savinho. But City’s joy was short-lived. Just two minutes later, Phil Foden’s uncharacteristically loose pass was picked off by Thomas Partey, whose shot took a wild deflection and found the corner.

Smelling blood, Arsenal didn’t hold back. The third goal came in style, with teenage star Myles Lewis-Skelly curling a beautiful shot into the far corner and then playfully mimicking Haaland’s celebration. The Gunners weren’t finished yet. A lightning-fast counter-attack saw Havertz make up for his earlier miss, calmly slotting the ball into the bottom corner to seal the deal.

Guardiola looked frustrated on the sidelines as his team’s title hopes crumbled. This was their second league loss in 41 matches since last January, leaving them 11 points behind the top. Meanwhile, Arsenal was in full celebration mode, with fans joyfully chanting in the closing moments before Ethan Nwaneri’s last-minute goal added the cherry on top of an unforgettable day in North London.