Man City 3-0 Arsenal match report & stats: David Luiz horror show helps Pep Guardiola's side to easy win

The Brazilian defender started the game on the subs bench but Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was forced into an early change when Pablo Mari went down injured, and it proved costly.

On the stroke of half-time Luiz misjudged a pass from Kevin De Bruyne, deflecting it into the path of Raheem Sterling, who ran through to rifle home.

Then just after the break, he hauled down Riyad Mahrez in the area after being easily beaten and was shown a straight red card by referee Anthony Taylor, leaving De Bruyne to stroke home the resultant penalty.

With both sides reduced to 10 men in the closing stages because of an injury to City defender Erik Garcia following a nasty collision with his goalkeeper Ederson, the match appeared to be petering out.

But there was still time for substitute Phil Foden to turn home from close range after Sergio Aguero's initial effort had rebounded back off the post.

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It was a brutal, ruthless display from Pep Guardiola's side that ensures Liverpool are now unable to clinch the title with victory over Everton in Sunday's Merseyside derby.

And while they still remain a staggering 22 points adrift as the Reds nearest challengers in the Premier League, this performance was a return to the City showings of their two previous title-winning campaigns, with Arsenal lucky to only lose by three.

For the Gunners, who stay ninth, it exposed the glaring issues facing Arteta as he seeks to close the gap on the top flight's elite clubs as quickly as possible.

His side were competitive for a fair chunk of the first half, but looked hapless once City got into their stride. From then on the result seemed inevitable.

The only certainty that the game may have been provided is over the future of Luiz.

As Arsenal mull over activating a one-year extension to his deal, which expires on June 30, a display such as this will have done nothing to persuade them that keeping the Brazilian around for another season would be a sensible investment.

Man City 3-0 Arsenal Opta stats

• Manchester City have won their last seven matches against Arsenal in all competitions, extending their best ever winning run against the Gunners. Indeed, City have scored at least two goals in each victory (20 in total).
• Arsenal have lost by 3+ goals both home and away in a league season versus an opponent (Man City in 2019-20) for the first time since 1969-70, against Chelsea.
• Arsenal are winless in their last 26 Premier League away games against fellow ‘big six’ opposition (D10 L16), with their last such victory coming at the Etihad in January 2015 (2-0).
• No manager has faced Arsenal more times without losing in the Premier League than Pep Guardiola (P8 W7 D1) – level with Jürgen Klopp.
• Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne has been directly involved in more Premier League goals than any other player this season (25 - 9 goals & 16 assists) – it’s also his best goal involvement tally in a single top-flight campaign in England.
• Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling became the first player to score a goal in the month of June in the English top-flight since Walter Rickett, for Sheffield United against Stoke on the 14th June, 1947.
• Raheem Sterling scored in his 50th home club game in all competitions – he’s never been on the losing side in those fixtures for Liverpool and Manchester City (W47 D3).
• Arsenal’s David Luiz became the first player to be sent off, concede a penalty and commit an error leading to an opposition goal in a Premier League match since Carl Jenkinson for West Ham vs Bournemouth in August 2015.
• David Luiz has conceded four penalties in the Premier League this season – the joint-most in a single campaign in the competition’s history (also José Fonte 2016-17, Gary Caldwell 2011-12, Ibrahima Sonko 2007-08, Claus Lundekvam 1999-00, Ken Monkou 1993-94 & Luc Nijholt 1993-94).
• Arsenal have been shown three red cards in 11 Premier League games under Mikel Arteta – the same total they registered in 51 games under Unai Emery.
• Manchester City’s Ederson has registered 46 clean sheets in his first 100 Premier League appearances: the third most shutouts by a goalkeeper in their first 100 games in the competition’s history (Cech 59 & Reina 54).

Premier League return as it happened

By Joe Townsend

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