City close the gap and are now top on goal difference (Picture: Getty)
Manchester City have moved back to the top of the Premier League after beating Arsenal 3-1 in an enthralling Premier League clash at the Emirates.
Kevin de Bruyne opened the scoring with a superb lobbed effort before Bukayo Saka levelled the contest from the penalty spot three minutes before half-time.
During a frenetic second-half, Jack Grealish capped a superb sweeping move as Arsenal wilted under City pressure.
Erling Haaland made it 32 goals for the season 10 minutes from full-time, firing City back to the top of the league after drilling home a cutback from de Bruyne.
The win sees City move level on points with the Gunners but clear at the top on goal difference – although Mikel Arteta’s side have a game in hand.
De Bruyne was gifted his chance after 24 minutes after Takehiro Tomiyasu, under pressure from Grealish, attempted to hook a lofted through ball back towards his own goalkeeper with the Belgian pouncing on the loose ball.
25 yards out from goal, de Bruyne curled a precise finish over on the onrushing Aaron Ramsdale, silencing the Emirates.
Arsenal, without Thomas Partey who was ruled out ahead of kick-off with a thigh injury, responded impressively and hit back with Eddie Nketiah’s darting run into the box causing havoc, carelessly clattered into by Ederson.
Saka levelled the contest from the penalty spot (Picture: Getty)
Already booked for time wasting minutes earlier, the City goalkeeper avoided a second but was sent the wrong way as Saka confidently stepped up to send him the wrong way.
A rocking atmosphere cranked up early in the second-half following a flashpoint involving de Bruyne and Arteta on the touchline with the midfielder giving the Gunners boss a shove after preventing him from taking a quick throw in.
The anger levels rose again when City were awarded a penalty on 56 minutes after Gabriel hauled down Haaland inside the box – only for VAR to offer them a reprieve with the Premier League top scorer ruled to have been offside.
Haaland wrapped up the win with City’s third goal (Picture: Getty)
A scramble on the line denied Manuel Akanji with Jorginho, the man stepping in for the injured Partey, in the right place at the right time as the game turned into a chaotic, scrappy affair midway through the second half.
And another error, this time from Gabriel, saw City pounce again, incisively switching the ball from right to left where Grealish swept home via a deflection that beat Ramsdale on 72 minutes.
Leandro Trossard, who emerged from the bench to score an equaliser against Brentford at the weekend, thought he had won a penalty after slipping inside only for Arsenal’s appeals to be turned away on this occasion.
City landed another decisive blow when Haaland found space in the six yard area, brilliantly picked out by de Bruyne’s cutback to drill into the far corner.
