Arsenal vs Manchester City recap, highlights and analysis: Utterly pantsed

Arsenal needed a bounceback win, but they would find no luck here, as they were pantsed in the freezing Emirates by the same Manchester City.

Arsene Wenger decided to change things up going into Arsenal’s “rematch” of sorts against Manchester City. Rather than rely on an ineffective back three, he switched back into the 4-2-3-1 that had been completely outdated as early as one year ago.

The personnel remained exactly as you would have expected, with a few key changes. Sead Kolasinac came in for an injured Nacho Monreal. Jack Wilshere disappeared from all participation whatsoever. Danny Welbeck found his way into the starting XI and Henrikh Mkhitaryan was allowed to get back out onto the pitch.

City went with their standard, marauding formation and personnel as always.

Early on, you could feel the changes. You could feel a sense of Arsenal wanting to make things different. Granit Xhaka got Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang involved early, Aaron Ramsey had a good eye for him just a few minutes later and even Hector Bellerin was attacking very well.

It was all red and white. Welbeck was piling on the high pressure, Ramsey and Mkhitaryan were combining beautifully and then completely against the run of play, Bernardo Silva curled in a beauty.

You couldn’t fault many. Bellerin should have done better, but Silva was closed down on quickly by both Kolasinac and Mkhitaryan. There was no preventing it. Have a look:

No harm no foul, the Gunners got back into it, with Xhaka playing superb defense yet again to spring a counter attack that was ended by a foul on Welbeck from ten yards outside the box. Xhaka hit it hard and true, but Ederson was there to turn it away.

It was still mostly red and white, with City finding it tough going.

In the 22nd minute, Shkodran Mustafi threaded a beautiful pass to find Bellerin, who in turn found Ramsey whose shot found the arms of Ederson. The threat was there.

And then it ended all over again, with David Silva snaking past Bellerin to score in the 27th minute to make it 2-0. Yet again, completely against the run of play. Here it is:

That’s when the confidence started to fade. All of Arsenal’s chances went begging and all of City’s found the back of the net. There was literally no stopping it from getting ugly again and sure enough, in the 33rd minute, it did. Laurent Koscielny was toasted and Sane found himself netting the goal he absolutely deserved. Watch it if you dare:

The Gunners still had some fighters – Xhaka, Welbeck and Mkhitaryan were pushing, with Ramsey always finding dangerous positions. But it all meant nothing as they went into half 3-0.

It didn’t get any better. The only difference in the second half was that, rather than having beautiful football on one side of things, there was now no beautiful football, as City sat back and allowed Arsenal’s inability to do the work.

It’s matches like these were you really see what players are fighters, and for what it’s worth, I do want to again point out that Xhaka and Ramsey were both thoroughly engaged and fighting for everything, as well as Welbeck, who despite being ineffective, can never be faulted for a lack of trying. Mkhitayran is another one who never really turned off.

Not sure where the Gunners go from here. It’s a wasteland.