John Stones inquest in Arsenal collapse cannot stop Man City humbling
By the end, Arsenal could not believe how easy it had been.
The team that have caused them so much misery of the last two-and-a-half seasons, denying them trophy after trophy, like lambs to the slaughter for at least 45 minutes of what should have been a heavyweight Premier League clash. Their players rubbed it in, their fans rubbed it in, and Pep Guardiola rubbed his head as he contemplates the latest reality check for a team intent on shooting itself in the foot.
City may well end up with more trophies than Arsenal this season, but that should not pull the wool over any Blues at just how painful this season has become. Each of the five goals scored by the Gunners made the soon-to-be-ex champions look that little bit more ordinary in a contest that turned into a rout.
READ MORE: Embarrassing Arsenal tactics show what they really think of Man City as fans mock Blues
For the last two seasons, matches against Arsenal have been the biggest for City because of the feeling that they have been the most critical in terms of winning the Premier League. Those two clashes in the Treble season, the 0-0 at the Etihad last April and even the 2-2 in September felt like the highest of stakes.
In that time, a rivalry has developed on the pitch that has not always been pleasant. However, if Arsenal were still bearing grudges from the first meeting of the season - Erling Haaland, referees, and the rest - that was not really reciprocated by the Blues; the clubs still do not like each other and the players wanted to win, but if a title is not on the line there is that little bit less on the line.
And not to say that City should have been obsessed with the Stay Humble taunt for the last five months because that is unhealthy in itself, but it does feel like the serial champions are just not quite on it. That, despite their bad injury count that has sapped strength from the squad, there have been plenty of occasions where those in the team have just not been good enough.
How else to explain John Stones choosing to put Manu Akanji in a difficult spot in his own third in just the second minute of the match at Arsenal? Or Akanji messing it up so badly that it gave the Gunners the easiest goal they will score all season?
Or Stefan Ortega, in for the injured Ederson, playing a ball to Mateo Kovacic that the midfielder was never going to win that saw Arsenal with the goal at their mercy again in the first half, only for Kai Havertz to screw it wide. These are not bad players and their performances are not entirely bad but they are making really bad decisions in crucial moments that is making it so much more difficult for City not to lose football matches.
Between those amateur antics, only a superb David Raya stop had prevented Josko Gvardiol from heading City level. Guardiola spoke on Friday abott Omar Marmoush being bought for his set-pieces and it was a delivery from the £59m man that forced such a terrific stop that looped onto the crossbar and away from Haaland who was waiting to tap in the rebound.
City grew in confidence as the first half went on, and if there were still some moments in the build-up that caused so much anguish from Guardiola he had to turn away from the pitch they were making life increasingly difficult for Arsenal. Martin Odegaard was the only Gunner that could say he'd played as well as goalkeeper Raya, who was called on a number of times to prevent an equaliser.
After the break, City got their reward for persistence with a quality move involving Phil Foden and Savinho seeing Haaland head home his 25th goal of the season. The Norwegian had been kept so quiet he'd had people counting his touches again when the only currency he cares about is goals.
Two minutes later, they were behind; Foden gave the ball away in his own half, nobody closed Thomas Partey down and his shot looped in off Stones. Six minutes later, Myles Lewis-Skelly was allowed to jink into the box and his shot went past Stones and past Ortega to bring a premature end to another game for City just like their Premier League title challenge is over.
Stones and Ortega had a detailed chat after the third as the team waited to kick off, each clearly not happy with the situation. Guardiola will not mind that, but what he should mind is experienced players falling well below acceptable levels and this was another sorry example in a campaign that is now cups or nothing.
A fourth added by Kai Havertz embarrassed the visitors, with a gleeful Emirates doing the Poznan and telling Guardiola he would be sacked in the morning. Unlike at Anfield, there was no response from the manager. There was still time for teenage substitute Ethan Nwaneri to add a fifth in added time.
City badly need a reaction over the next 10 days if they are to avoid more misery in upcoming games against Real Madrid (twice), Newcastle and Liverpool this month.
