The Gunners suffered their first defeat across all competitions since November 9.
Manchester City defeated Arsenal 1-0 in their FA Cup game on Friday. The Citizens continued their six-game winning streak against their north London rivals.
The first of three battles!
Arsenal and City met for the first time this season amid their close competition in the Premier League. The two sides will meet two more times in games that will most likely determine the next league winners.
City started off by claiming the possession early on as they tried to attack their opponents down both flanks. But Arsenal were the better side overall throughout the first period.
The Gunners forced Stefan Ortega to make two massive saves while City remained tame in front of the goal.
Arsenal came close to scoring again at the beginning of the second period. But the hosts gradually re-established their dominance as the game entered its final half hour.
A sublime low shot from Nathan Ake inside the box finally put Man City ahead in the 64th minute. Arsenal pushed for a quick equalizer, but the Citizens managed to hold them at bay with effective pressing.
Pep Guardiola’s men then used the possession to run down the time of the game as Arsenal struggled to find space behind their backline.
The Gunners settled for a 1-0 defeat that ended their journey in this season’s FA Cup. Mikel Arteta’s side will meet City again in a Premier League match on February 15.
Before that, however, the Gunners must travel to Goodison Park to meet Everton this weekend.
Player Ratings
Man City: Ortega (8); Lewis (7), Stones (6), Akanji (7), Aké (8); Rodri (7), De Bruyne (6), Gündoğan (7); Mahrez (5), Grealish (7), Haaland (6).
Bench: Walker (5), Laporte (6), B. Silva (7), Alvarez (6).
Arsenal: Turner (6); Tomiyasu (7), Holding (5), Gabriel (6), Tierney (5); Partey (7), Xhaka (7), Vieira (6); Saka (6), Trossard (7), Nketiah (6).
Bench: Saliba (5), Zinchenko (6), Odegaard (6), Sambi Lokonga (7), Martinelli (6).
Be sure not to miss out on the latest news about Arsenal
Download our brand new App and follow your favorite players, clubs, and much more
