Match Report - Arsenal 0-2 Manchester City

Manchester City began their league campaign in emphatic fashion on Sunday with a comfortable 2-0 win over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Goals from Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva in each half where enough to take all three points back to Manchester on the opening weekend of the Premier League.

First Half:

City came into the game with a number of first team players such as Kevin De Bruyne, Leroy Sane and Vincent Kompany on the bench from the start but showed no signs of weakness early on.

Raheem Sterling got proceedings under way after 14 minutes when he cut in from the left hand side and drove towards the heart of the Arsenal defence before unleashing a rocket off his right foot that sailed past Petr Cech into the far corner to give City the lead. In real time, celebrations seemed to be a little delayed as from first glance it looked as though the strike had hit the hoardings behind the goal.

After last weekends display vs Chelsea it would be foolish to suggest City where going to rest on their laurels in their opening league game, and they began this one with the intent and vigour shown that crowned them Champions last season. The football was crisp, free-flowing and a times scintillating in the opening 20 minutes.

Arsenal tried to get back into the game through a Hector Bellerin effort that was parried out by Ederson, leading to a break at the opposite end of the field where Sergio Aguero could only manage to hit the side netting from a tight angle.

On 27 minutes some sloppy play from Granit Xhaka in the centre of the park was almost punished. Sergio Aguero was hauled down by Sokratis and debutant Riyad Mahrez had an effort saved by Cech from the resulting free kick.

Mahrez came close to opening his City account on 42 minutes when he cut in from the right onto his favoured left foot, and curled an effort a few inches wide of Cech’s right hand post. The keeper was beat but the Algerian was unable to caress the ball enough to bend it into the far corner.

Second Half:

After a fairly tame opening to the second half with City seemingly in control, it was the introduction of Alexander Lacazette which brought the loudest cheers of the day from the home supporters. After only a-minute on the field he found himself in space on the edge of the Manchester City ‘D’ and struck a right footed effort that dipped just past Ederson’s left hand post.

While the Gunners tried to claw their way back into the game, City had a chance to put the game to bed in the 63rd minute. Arsenal new boy Matteo Guendouzi misread a a clearence on the half way line which left Sergio Aguero clear and bearing down on goal, he decided to take a shot which was saved by Cech instead of squaring the ball across the face of goal to the onrushing and unmarked De Bruyne.

Luckily for Aguero, his blushed were spared a minute later as Bernardo Silva wrapped up the game for the away team. Benjamin Mendy found himself in space down the left hand side of Arsenals box and pulled the ball back to the edge of the box, where Bernardo was waiting to power past Cech into the top corner to make it 2-0.

A couple of needless errors by Ederson late on almost cost his team a clean sheet on the day, but Arsenal where unable to capitalise and City were able to close out the final few minutes of this tough opening day fixture.

Man of the Match: Bernardo Silva

Arsenal: Cech, Bellerin, Mustafi, Sokratis, Maitland Niles (Lichtsteiner 35), Guendouzi, Xhaka (Torreira 70), Ozil, Ramsey (Lacazette 54), Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang

Yellow Cards: Sokratis (27), Xhaka (52)

Goals: None

Man City: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Laporte, Mendy, Fernandinho, Gundogan, B Silva, Sterling (sane 87), Mahrez (De Bruyne 60), Aguero (Jesus 79)

Yellow Cards: Sterling (4), De Bruyne (73)

Goals: Sterling (14), B Silva (64)

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