No Ronaldo, no problem as Manchester City thrash Arsenal
Arsenal rooted to bottom of English Premier League ladder as City runs riot, while 10-man Chelsea hold Liverpool to draw.
Pep Guardiola ruled out signing a striker before next week’s transfer deadline after Manchester City rubbed salt into Arsenal wounds with a 5-0 thrashing on Saturday to inflict the Gunners’ worst start to a league season since 1954.
City’s week had been dominated by transfer speculation as Harry Kane confirmed he will be remaining at Tottenham this season with Spurs unwilling to sale the England captain.
Cristiano Ronaldo was then rumoured to be making a sensational move to the Etihad, but opted instead to return to Manchester United.
Yet, even without the injured Kevin De Bruyne and with Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez on the bench, City showed the wealth of attacking options on offer to Guardiola as Ferran Torres scored twice, while Ilkay Gundogan, Gabriel Jesus and Rodrigo were also on target.
“I don’t think so,” said Guardiola when asked if he will add to his squad before the window closes on Tuesday.
“The team made a magnificent last season and we are the same, plus Jack (Grealish).”
Arsenal have now lost their first three league games and are yet to even score a goal with the pressure rising on Arteta with his side rooted to the bottom of the table.
Arteta left the comfort of working as Guardiola’s assistant for his first managerial job just under two years ago, but is increasingly in the firing line with the Gunners falling further behind the Premier League elite.
“He is above and beyond a good manager,” said Guardiola in defence of his former colleague.
“His personality, his leadership, we were sad when he left but sometimes people expect results immediately.
“I’m a big fan of him and I’m pretty sure if they trust him he is going to do a good job at Arsenal.”
Arteta has reportedly been given until the October international break, in just over a month, to revive Arsenal’s fortunes after spending over £130 million ($153 million) in the transfer window.
“I am sorry we cannot give them (the fans) the results right now and we have to fix it,” said the Spaniard, who on top of facing Chelsea and City in Arsenal’s first three games has also had to cope with a series of positive cases of coronavirus at the club.
“It’s been really tough the first three weeks with everything that has happened.”
5-0.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) August 28, 2021
I can’t remember any Arsenal performance in living memory as hopeless as this.
Diabolical. https://t.co/rK93JtN6Qd
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) August 28, 2021
Xhaka sees red again
His experimental selection of Sead Kolasinac, Rob Holding and Callum Chambers in a back three quickly backfired as the diminutive Gundogan outjumped Holding to head home the opener on seven minutes.
More shambolic defending allowed Torres to tap home the second from Cedric Soares’s sliced clearance.
A massive mistake from Ederson nearly gave Arsenal a lifeline when his clearance was charged down by Emile Smith Rowe and rolled inches wide.
But Granit Xhaka’s ill-discipline then left his side with no hope 10 minutes before halftime.
The Switzerland skipper recently signed a new contract to end speculation over his future, but red cards have been a recurring feature of his six years in north London and his wild two-footed lung on Cancelo brought the 12th sending off in his club career.
“After we took the red card it was a completely different game but everyone has to look themselves in the mirror, stick together and move forward,” said Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
âï¸âï¸âï¸âï¸âï¸ - @ManCity#MCIARSpic.twitter.com/n1vzzfeNBD
— Premier League (@premierleague) August 28, 2021
“We need to talk between us players. We are Arsenal and we need pride. We need to be honest with each other.”
Against the 10 men, Grealish had the space to show why City spent £100 million on making him the most expensive player in Premier League history.
The England playmaker’s trickery left Chambers and Holding on the floor before squaring for Jesus to tap into an empty net.
City enjoyed a glorified training session after the break as Arsenal could barely get a touch.
Rodrigo’s inch-perfect curling finish from long range made it 4-0. Guardiola introduced Sterling and Mahrez for the final half-hour and it was from Mahrez’s perfect cross that Torres headed in off the post six minutes from time.
Out the blocks in a flash 💥@IlkayGuendogan | @FerranTorres20 | #MCIARSpic.twitter.com/lwa4ErIPV1
— Premier League (@premierleague) August 28, 2021
Ten-man Chelsea hold Liverpool to draw
Chelsea held out with 10 men for the entire second-half to frustrate Liverpool as the first heavyweight clash of the Premier League season between two title contenders ended 1-1 at Anfield.
Kai Havertz’s looping header put the visitors in front before Reece James was sent-off in first-half stoppage time for handball on his own goal line and Mohamed Salah converted the resulting penalty.
But Jurgen Klopp’s men failed to make their man advantage count in the second-half as the European champions showed resilience to dig out a precious point that strengthened their title credentials.
Both sides and Manchester United, with Ronaldo back at Old Trafford, are expected to pose Manchester City a much tougher challenge to retain the Premier League this season.
And the first meeting between those four sides of the campaign did not disappoint with a raucous Anfield atmosphere the accompaniment to 90 minutes of high drama.
Liverpool’s title defence was knocked off course by a series of long-term injuries to key players last season.
However, with Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip restored in central defence, allowing Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to play their more familiar midfield roles, the Reds’ blend of intense pressing and counterattacking was back to its best early on.
Klopp made the bold call to give 18-year-old Harvey Elliott just his second Premier League start with Thiago Alcantara left on the bench.
Elliott fired the first shot inches wide before Henderson then missed a glorious chance to open the scoring when he volleyed wide on his weaker left foot from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s inch-perfect cross.
Chelsea had barely threatened until they hit the hosts with a sucker punch on 22 minutes when Havertz’s header brilliantly guided James’s corner into the far corner.
The Blues then could have put the game beyond Liverpool before the game-changing incident at the end of the first-half.
Romelu Lukaku announced his return to English football by scoring on his second Chelsea debut in a routine 2-0 win at Arsenal last weekend.
The Belgian struggled when up against van Dijk, but got the better of Matip to send Mason Mount through on goal and the England midfielder’s shot flashed across goal.
Elliott skied another glorious chance well over at the other end, but Liverpool were struggling to pick holes in the Chelsea back five until a corner deep into first-half stoppage time.
Matip’s header came back off the crossbar and in the goalmouth scramble that ensued James stopped Sadio Mane’s effort crossing the line with his hand.
There seemed little intent from the England international, but once referee Anthony Taylor awarded the penalty following a VAR review, he had little option but to send him off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Chelsea players were furious at the decision with Edouard Mendy and Antonio Rudiger booked even before they surrounded Taylor at halftime.
Thomas Tuchel had to deal with another blow at the break as N’Golo Kante was forced off with a knock he picked up in the first-half.
Tuchel also sent on Thiago Silva for his first appearance of the season for Havertz to shore up his defence ahead of the expected Liverpool siege.
But the home side were largely restricted to efforts from long range as van Dijk, Fabinho and Robertson tested Mendy, while Henderson curled a shot inches wide.
Chelsea could even have stolen all three points late on when Alisson Becker made a meal of stopping Mateo Kovacic’s strike on the break.
Salah had one last chance for a winner at the other end but never looked comfortable on his right foot as his weak shot was easily gathered by Mendy.
English Premier League results
■ MANCHESTER CITY 5 (Gundogan 7, Torres 12, 84, Jesus 43, Rodri 53) ARSENAL 0
■ ASTON VILLA 1 (Buendia 13) BRENTFORD 1 (Toney 7)
■ BRIGHTON 0 EVERTON 2 (Gray 41, Calvert-Lewin 58-pen)
■ NEWCASTLE 2 (Wilson 55, Saint-Maximin 90) SOUTHAMPTON 2 (Elyounoussi 74, Ward-Prowse 90+6)
■ NORWICH 1 (Pukki 44-pen) LEICESTER 2 (Vardy 8, Albrighton 76)
■ WEST HAM 2 (Fornals 39, Antonio 88) CRYSTAL PALACE 2 (Gallagher 58, 70)
■ LIVERPOOL 1 (Salah 45+5 pen) CHELSEA 1 (Havertz 22)
Playing tonight: Leeds v Burnley, Tottenham v Watford, Wolves v Manchester United
AFP
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