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An unbelievable win for Mikel Arteta's Gunners.

13 incredible stats from Arsenal’s astonishing 5-1 mauling of Manchester City

Arsenal showed they’re not out of the title race with a statement 5-1 thrashing of Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Manchester City – a result that all but confirms they won’t be making it five Premier League titles in a row.

Mikel Arteta’s Gunners moved within six points of league leaders Liverpool after they turned on the style in north London. They’ve put the pressure on Arne Slot’s Reds when they play their game in hand, away to in-form Merseyside rivals Everton, next week.

Man City, meanwhile, are a massive 15 points off the top spot and nine behind Arsenal. They’re also, unthinkably at the start of the season, six points behind Nottingham Forest – and their primary task now is surely to qualify for next year’s Champions League.

“It was a top game and a top performance,” club captain Martin Odegaard told Sky Sports in his post-match interview.

“With the fans and the atmosphere and the scoresheet like that it can’t be better.”

Odegaard had opened the scoring after just 103 seconds, with Arsenal’s pressing forcing Manuel Akanji into an errant pass.

The hosts missed chances to take the game beyond City from there and went into half-time ruing the fact the fact they were only a goal ahead. And they were made to pay early in the second half when Erling Haaland rose to head home an equaliser.

But Arsenal responded superbly from that point onwards. Thomas Partey got them back into the lead within seconds of Haaland’s equaliser with a deflected strike from range.

Guardiola’s men had no answer from there as Arsenal ran out of sight with excellent strikes from Hale End graduates Myles Lewis Skelly and substitute Ethan Nwaneri. Kai Havertz had also got himself on the scoresheet with the fourth.

“When they play like that they’re difficult to stop. Let’s enjoy it – it [beating City like that] doesn’t happen often,” Arsenal legend Thierry Henry reacted, having watched the game as a pundit in the Sky Sports studio.

“Liverpool are still six points ahead with a game in hand. Let’s carry on working the way we did in the last 30 minutes.”


READ NEXT: The Premier League ‘big six’ head-to-head table of 2024-25 so far: Arsenal flying, Man City flailing…

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every player to play for Arsenal and Man City in the PL?


Here are 13 amazing stats from Arsenal’s statement win:

— Aside from Havertz’s big missed chance (0.77xG) in the first half, Arsenal were ridiculously clinical on the day. They scored five goals from an xG of 2.14xG in the match. But they still created better chances than the visitors (0.85xG)

— Of Arsenal’s midfield and attack that started the game, Leandro Trossard was the only one not to register a goal or an assist. Declan Rice got two assists, Thomas Partey scored, Martin Odegaard scored, Gabriel Martinelli assisted and Kai Havertz scored and assisted.

— All five of Arsenal’s goals were from open play. Set Piece FC?

— Ethan Nwaneri (17 years, 10 months, 12 days) is the youngest player to score in the Premier League against the reigning champions since… Myles Lewis-Skelly scored Arsenal’s third. But Lewis Skelly had been the youngest player since Wayne Rooney for Everton against Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal in March 2003 (17 years, five months) – via @OptaJoe

— Erling Haaland registered just nine touches in the entire game. By contrast, Nwaneri registered 11 touches after being introduced in the 84th minute.

— Declan Rice registered four key passes (the final pass before a team-mate shoots at goal). That’s one fewer alone than Manchester City’s entire team managed between them.

— Manchester City have now conceded four or more goals on four occasions this season. That’s the first time in Pep Guardiola’s entire managerial career that’s happened.

— This was City’s heaviest Premier League away defeat in over eight years – dating back to a 4-0 defeat to Everton in Guardiola’s debut season (January 2017).

— Arsenal are now on their longest unbeaten run in the Premier League under Mikel Arteta. The Gunners haven’t been beaten in any of their last 14 outings, the last time was they went so long without tasting defeat in a league game was from August to December 2018 under Unai Emery.

— The Gunners have registered back-to-back home victories over Manchester City for the first time since 2008-09 – a run of four successive wins that started before City’s takeover way back in 2005-06.

— Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City had beaten Arsenal in twelve successive league outings between 2017 and 2023. They’ve now failed to beat them home and away in each of the last two seasons. 

— Arsenal’s 4-1 defeat away to Manchester City, 649 days ago, in April 2023 was their last Premier League defeat to a fellow ‘big six’ team. They’re now unbeaten in almost two years against the ‘big six’ and 18 games. No team has taken more points from ‘big six’ games this season; not even league leaders Liverpool.

— This is equal to Arsenal’s biggest win of 2024-25 so far, and they’ve done it against the reigning champions. In fact, this is Arsenal’s biggest ever Premier League win over the side holding the title.