Manchester City survived a first-half onslaught to beat Arsenal 3 – 1 at the Etihad Stadium and go just two points behind league leaders Liverpool. A Sergio Aguero hat-trick was the decisive factor as Unai Emery’s men were swept aside in a dominant second half. Here’s how we rated the players on a hectic night at the Etihad:
Ederson – 7
With just one save to make, it was a good day for Ederson, who rescued City in the first half with some brave sweeping.
Kyle Walker – 7
This was so much better from Walker. He refused to be bullied by the physicality of Kolasinac and looked like a real top-class defender again. The game suited his pace and strength down to a tee.
Nicolas Otamendi – 7
City’s defence were all over the place for a while in this game. The Arsenal goal was entirely preventable, had Sterling not been marking Koscielny, but Otamendi managed to get a grip of the game and dominate the backline.
Aymeric Laporte – 7
Similar to Otamendi, Laporte had some shaky first-half moments but grew more assured over time. He got the assist for the crucial opener and had a header ruled out for offside too. It was a busy day for the Frenchman who is fast becoming a world-class defender.
Fernandinho – 8
The tactical understanding of this man is prodigious to say the least. I think Pep could play him anywhere but in goal and we’d be guaranteed a powerful, confident performance. Whether the Brazilian was playing as a makeshift defender or his more favoured midfield job today, Fernandinho never looked out of his depth.
Ilkay Gundogan – 8
An in-form Gundogan is one of football’s greatest pleasures to watch. He was at it again today with some wonderful dinked passes over the defence, one of which set up the second goal. The name ‘Silky Ilkay’ suits this man so well that I’m starting to wonder if his parents planned it.
Kevin de Bruyne – 8
It’s a lot of fun, when watching De Bruyne, to imagine how terrifying he must be to defenders. The power he gets on his shots and crosses is simply incredible, even if the accuracy wasn’t always there today. The shift KDB put in left him exhausted but it was all worth it in the end…
David Silva – 7
Silva grew into the game as it went on, starting to tease and torment Arsenal’s midfielders in the second half with his vastly superior ability. It wasn’t a stand-out performance but he got the job done.
Bernardo Silva – 8
Bernardo continued his impressive form with another battling display against the Gunners. You can tell the Portuguese used to be a left-back from the willingness he shows to help out in defence.
Raheem Sterling – 8
Two clever runs, two pinpoint low crosses, two assists. Sterling showed his creative side once again as he laid a pair of goals on a plate for Aguero, playing a hugely important role in the victory. Arsenal’s defenders couldn’t deal with Raheem.
Sergio Aguero – 9 (Man of the Match)
For a mere mortal, a Premier League hat-trick is a rarity reserved for games against the teams scrapping towards the bottom of the table. Not so for Sergio Aguero. The Argentine’s poaching instincts were as sharp as ever as he bagged three close-range goals to pretty much win the game by himself.
Subs:
Gabriel Jesus- N/A
No time to mark
Riyad Mahrez- N/A
No time to mark
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