Premier League GW8 - Arsenal vs Man City

Arsenal vs Man City | Photo Credtis: The Independent

The thrilling Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester City.

Title Contenders Collide

Arsenal came into the game hot off a convincing 4-0 win against Bournemouth in their previous league game, which kept them in the race for the league's top spot. The team led by Mikel Arteta had the chance to stake a claim early in the Premier League championship race. The rematch was keenly anticipated after City narrowly defeated Arsenal to win the title the previous season. However, Arsenal experienced a blow this past week as they lost to Lens 2-1 in the Champions League.

The defending English champions and treble winners from the previous season, Manchester City, suffered a shock 2-1 loss to Wolves in their final league encounter. As a result, they triumphed 3-1 over RB Leipzig in the Champions League. The stakes were high as Arsenal presented City's title defense with its first serious test.

Starting Lineups:

Arsenal (4-3-3):

Starting XI: David Raya; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Oleksandr Zinchenko; Martin Odegaard, Jorginho, Declan Rice; Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah, Leandro Trossard.

Subs: Aaron Ramsdale, Thomas Partey, Emile Smith Rowe, Gabriel Martinelli, Jakub Kiwior, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson, Kai Havertz.

Manchester City (4-2-3-1):

Starting XI: Ederson; Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Josko Gvardiol; Rico Lewis, Mateo Kovacic; Bernardo Silva, Julian Alvarez, Phil Foden; Erling Haaland.

Subs: Stefan Ortega, Kalvin Phillips, John Stones, Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku, Sergio Gomez, Manuel Akanji, Matheus Nunes, Oscar Bobb.

Arsenal's Recent Struggles Against City

Arsenal entered the field with a poor record against Manchester City, having lost their previous 12 Premier League contests against them.

First Half: Stalemate at Half-Time

Both teams battled hard in the first half, but neither could score despite their efforts. City may have been lucky to keep 11 players on the field despite their early chance being cleared off the line and Ake's squandered opportunity. Despite the VAR's review of Kovacic's tackle on Odegaard, he did not receive a warning. Additionally, Arsenal had trouble producing clear-cut chances.

Second Half: Arsenal's Hero Emerges

More action was predicted in the second half. After Martinelli's arrival at halftime, Arsenal's offense picked up steam, and Ederson was forced to save the Gunners' first shot on goal.

But in the 86th minute, things started to change. Havertz sent the ball to Martinelli at the edge of the box, who fired a right-footed shot that ricocheted off Ake and nestled in the bottom-left corner. Arsenal seized the lead before Ederson had a chance to intervene.

Full-Time: Arsenal's Stunning Victory

Arsenal's 1-0 victory over City in the Premier League snapped their 12-game losing record, and the Emirates Stadium erupted. In this competitive match between title contenders, the unfortunate Ake deflection turned out to be the deciding factor.

With this victory, Arsenal moved into a tie with Tottenham atop the Premier League standings, while City now trails by two points as a result of their second straight league defeat. The action continues well after the international break.

On October 21, Arsenal will play Chelsea, and City will try to get back on track at home against Brighton. The team of Guardiola needs to put in some effort to recapture their momentum.