The match between Arsenal and Manchester City was highly anticipated due to Arsenal’s consistency throughout the season and Manchester City’s recent resurgence. Before this match, Arsenal was in second place with 47 points, 9 points behind league leaders Liverpool. Meanwhile, Manchester City was in fourth place with 41 points, 6 points behind Arsenal. Fans were hoping for a thrilling attacking battle, but Manchester City disappointed their supporters.
With the advantage of playing at home, Arsenal got off to a perfect start with a goal in the 2nd minute. After a mistake by Akanji, the ball found Kai Havertz, who instead of shooting, passed the ball to Martin Odegaard to score. Just 4 minutes later, Arsenal “scored” again as Martinelli put the ball into Man City’s net in a one-on-one with goalkeeper Ortega, but the goal was ruled offside. It wasn’t until the 23rd minute that Man City had their first significant chance with a corner kick. Gvardiol’s header forced Raya into a crucial save. Man City’s misfortune continued when the ball hit the crossbar of Arsenal’s goal, denying them the chance to equalize. In the final 20 minutes of the first half, Man City applied pressure on Arsenal’s goal but could not score. The first half ended 1-0 in Arsenal’s favor.
In the second half, with the lead, Arsenal played cautiously and waited for the right moment to increase the lead. However, when Arsenal struggled to find a second goal, Man City was rewarded for their persistent attacking efforts. In the 55th minute, after a long ball from Savinho, Erling Haaland leaped high to score a header and equalize. Haaland’s 19th Premier League goal this season seemed to reignite hope for Man City, but little did anyone know that it was just the beginning of Arsenal’s demolition of Man City.
Just one minute after Haaland’s goal, a misplaced pass from Foden allowed Thomas Partey to score from outside the box, putting Arsenal back in the lead at 2-1. Not long after, Arsenal scored again. After a brilliant move to elude John Stones, young Myles Lewis-Skelly struck a shot past Ortega, making it 3-1 for Arsenal. With nothing left to lose, Man City threw everything forward, leaving massive gaps in defense. The inevitable happened in the 76th minute when, during a rapid counterattack, Kai Havertz easily scored Arsenal’s fourth goal. In the 3rd minute of stoppage time, young Ethan Nwaneri sealed the victory with a fifth goal, giving Arsenal a dominant 5-1 win.
Meanwhile, at Old Trafford, the “Red Half of Manchester” also faced a difficult match. Despite controlling the game early on and creating several dangerous opportunities, MU was unable to find the back of the net. After initially withstanding pressure, Crystal Palace regained composure and began attacking confidently. In the 38th minute, Jean-Philippe Mateta almost scored, but his shot narrowly missed the post, with Andre Onana beaten. The first half ended 0-0.
In the second half, both teams played with ambition, but it was Crystal Palace who struck first. In the 64th minute, Lacroix’s header from a free kick hit the crossbar, but the ball fell perfectly for Mateta, who scored the opening goal. Despite MU’s attempts to equalize, Crystal Palace sealed the victory in the 89th minute when Daniel Munoz played the ball to Mateta, who scored to make it 2-0, handing MU a humiliating defeat at home.
The defeats suffered by both clubs, once giants in domestic and international football, reveal their current lack of stability despite having star-studded rosters. Both Amorim and Pep Guardiola are still struggling to find the right strategies, even with top-tier talent at their disposal. The big question for both Manchester clubs is, “When will Red and Blue rise again?” Unfortunately, the answer seems to be, “Not in the near future.”
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