Man City 6-3 Arsenal - Citizens Crush Gunners To Close Gap At Top

Manchester City put six past Arsenal in a high-octane encounter to continue their undefeated run at home and move to within three points of the Premier League leaders. Theo Walcott scored twice to give the visitors a chance and Per Mertesacker headed a third, but goals from Sergio Aguero, Alvaro Negredo, David Silva, Yaya Toure and a brace from Fernandinho blew Arsene Wenger's side away. The Gunners could have opened an eight-point lead at the top of the table this evening but that never looked likely as it took Aguero just 14 minutes to break the deadlock, firing in from close range following Martin Demichelis' headed flick-on. Walcott levelled the scores when his shot into the ground deceived Demichelis and Costel Pantilimon 15 minutes later but Negredo ensured the home side went into half time in front after stabbing in Pablo Zabaleta's cross. The Spaniard had earlier pulled his shot wide when played into a great position by Vincent Kompany but soon made amends to give his side a narrow lead at the interval. Having put four past United and six past Tottenham on this ground, you had the feeling there were more to come in the second half, and so it told. First, there were worries for the home side when Aguero was forced off with a suspected calf injury to be replaced by Jesus Navas, but even the loss of their leading goal-scorer failed to hinder City in a breathless attacking second half display. Fernandinho made his side's dominance tell on the 50 minute mark with a well-placed finish from the edge of the area before Walcott again pulled one back with a high-rising strike deep inside the area after being teed up by Oliver Giroud. But three minutes later Silva all but ended the contest when he got on the end of substitute Jesus Navas's cross to dispatch from close range. Fernandinho got his second, and his side's fifth of the game with a well-taken right footed shot from the edge of the box before Mertesacker headed in Sagna's corner as the goals kept coming. But any chances of an unlikely come-back were snuffed out when Sczcesny hauled down James Milner in the dying embers of the game and referee Martin Atkinson pointed to the spot. There was little doubt as to the outcome when Toure stepped up, to blast in a sixth and move his side second.
Contributor
Contributor

Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.