Hello, and welcome to today’s liveblog.
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Kick off is at 4.30pm.
Confirmation of today’s teams…
Your City line-up for today! 💙
— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 3, 2019
CITY XI | Ederson, Walker, Laporte, Otamendi, Fernandinho, Gundogan, Silva (C), De Bruyne, Bernardo, Sterling, Aguero
SUBS | Muric, Danilo, Stones, Delph, Sané, Mahrez, Jesus
Presented by @HaysWorldwide #MCIARS 🔵 #mancity pic.twitter.com/HceScdZ6FC
📋 Here it is - our team for #MCIARS! 🔴
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) February 3, 2019
3 - Since August 20th, Manchester City have only won three more points in the Premier League (50) than Arsenal (47) and have lost more league games (4) than the Gunners (3) in that time. Contest. #MCIARS pic.twitter.com/32rN2E7oNy
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 3, 2019
Who do you think will win?
Poll Results:
We’re under way…
MAN CITY 1-0 ARSENAL (AGUERO 1)
City take less than a minute to open the scoring, as was the case against Newcastle during the week.
Iwobi dallies on the ball inside his box and Laporte robs it off him. The makeshift full-back’s perfect cross finds Aguero, who makes no mistake with a clinical diving header.
“Arsenal, they’re a lovely opponent, aren’t they?”
Gary Neville has not been impressed by Arsenal’s lackadaisical start to this game.
The official time for Sergio Aguero’s goal is 46 seconds.
It’s the second fastest goal of the season. He also scored the fastest goal against Newcastle during week after 24 seconds.
MAN CITY 1-1 ARSENAL (KOSCIELNY 10)
Despite their chaotic start, Arsenal are back in the game.
A Lucas Torreira corner is flicked on by Monreal and Koscielny runs off Sterling to head home.
Arsenal still look very vulnerable defensively.
De Bruyne finds himself in plenty of space down the right, but his cross is overhit and misses the lurking Sterling.
This has got the makings of a classic.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) February 3, 2019
Silva plays it to Sterling, but the winger’s final ball is disappointing as he fails to pick out Aguero.
As was the case against Newcastle, City, for all their possession, have been quite wasteful in the final third so far and lacking their usual intensity.
Torreira’s attempted pass hits off the ref, who unwittingly starts a City attack.
Moments later, De Bruyne fires the ball a few yards over the bar from distance.
Arsenal break and Lacazette plays a dangerous through ball towards the onrushing Aubameyang.
Ederson is alert, however, and gets to the ball before the striker.
This game has calmed down significantly after a frantic opening.
Arsenal have steadied the ship somewhat and no longer look so vulnerable.
De Bruyne loses the ball in midfield.
Torreira then bursts forward and plays it to Aubameyang, whose shot is deflected out for a corner.
MAN CITY 2-1 ARSENAL (AGUERO 44)
Sterling plays a one-two with Gündoğan, before the England international drills the ball across the box.
Aguero is waiting in the area, perfectly placed to tap the ball home.
Lichtsteiner got caught out down the right — it’s not the first defensive lapse from Arsenal in this game.
Interesting to note that Sead Kolasinac's interpretation of the left wing-back role involves mostly playing centre mid or upfront.
— Rory Smith (@RorySmith) February 3, 2019
HALF-TIME: MAN CITY 2-1 ARSENAL
100 – At the age of 24 years and 57 days, Raheem Sterling has become the seventh youngest player in Premier League history to register 100 goal involvements in the competition (59 goals, 41 assists). Centurion. #MCIARS pic.twitter.com/OCi7uuN3uz
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 3, 2019
An intriguing first 45 minutes.
City took advantage of Arsenal’s slow start by scoring inside a minute for the second time in a week and the hosts could have scored more than once before a well-worked goal got the Gunners back in the game.
Having begun abysmally, the visitors improved as the half developed and consequently will perhaps feel a little unlucky to be trailing at the break.
City have played well in bursts, but you still get the feeling they are not the all-conquering force they tend to be at their very best.
Sergio Aguero, however, is the difference between the teams, with his poacher’s instincts evident amid a closely-fought first half.
The second half has begun…
Sterling plays it to Bernardo Silva, who curls a shot well over.
Moments later, Aguero tussles with Koscielny and wins a free kick.
City have started this second half aggressively.
Leno can’t hold on to De Bruyne’s shot from the edge of the area.
However, the Arsenal goalkeeper does enough to stop Bernardo Silva getting any meaningful contact on the rebound.
Big chance!
Sterling plays through De Bruyne, whose shot from a tricky angle is straight at Leno.
Moments later, City have another counter attack, but Silva’s through ball towards Aguero is too heavy.
Arsenal are starting to look tired and City are controlling the game right now.
MAN CITY 3-1 ARSENAL (AGUERO 61)
Sergio Aguero scores his hat-trick and it felt as if it was coming, given how Arsenal were starting to wilt under constant City pressure.
Sterling gets to the by-line and crosses for the Argentine international to slide the ball home into the empty net.
Arsenal players protest that it hit Aguero’s arm as he scored and replays suggest they may have a point.
Arsenal make a double change
Iwobi is replaced by Ramsey and Kolašinac makes way for Denis Suarez, who is making his Arsenal debut.
It looks like the Gunners are going 4-3-3 in a bid to rescue this game.
City are looking fairly comfortable now and passing the ball about casually.
You get the sense that there are more goals in this game for Pep Guardiola’s side if they want them.
According to Sky, City have registered 14 attempts compared with Arsenal’s four.
That stat gives a sense of the hosts’ superiority for much of this game.
Aguero comes close to a fourth.
De Bruyne’s free kick is headed out to the edge of the area, where the striker is waiting.
His shot takes a deflection off Koscielny as Leno is forced to make a decent save.
Arsenal make another change. Mustafi is replaced by Mavropanos.
With just over 10 minutes remaining, the game is dead. The Gunners have had no real response to conceding a third.
Aguero, the hart-trick hero, departs the field to loud cheers.
Gabriel Jesus comes on in his place.
The two Silvas link up well, before David’s powerful strike from the edge of the area is parried away by Leno.
There is no sign of Man City being content with 3-1, as they continue to attack and produce some impressive interplay.
De Bruyne goes down and then gets replaced by Riyad Mahrez.
It looks like cramp, rather than something more serious, for the Belgian international.
👏🔥 Goals vs "The Big 6"...
— The Sportsman (@TheSportsman) February 3, 2019
- Aguero: 42
- Kane: 21
- Rooney: 20
- Van Persie: 18
- Hazard: 17#MCIARS pic.twitter.com/hQT8fZj96b
Mahrez tries to make an immediate impact, but his curled shot from the edge of the area goes well off target.
It’s 13-0 to City on second-half attempts, which tells its own story.
There will be three minutes of stoppage time…
FULL-TIME: MAN CITY 3-1 ARSENAL
So that’s that.
City jump above Spurs and trail Liverpool by just two points, though Jurgen Klopp’s men could extend their advantage by defeating West Ham tomorrow.
The win was well-deserved ultimately.
Arsenal had a decent spell for a portion of the first half, but were completely toothless in the second, as emphasised by their failure to register a single attempt on goal after the break.
City had 59% possession and registered 19 attempts on target. They dominated the game, particularly in the second half, when Arsenal ran out of gas from chasing the ball so much.
Arsenal have conceded 13 PL goals away at Chelsea, Man Utd, Liverpool and Man City this season. Liverpool have conceded 14 PL goals this season.
— Richard Jolly (@RichJolly) February 3, 2019
Right, that’s all from me.
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