Manchester
City climbed above Arsenal into second in the Premier League after
coming from behind to beat the Gunners 2-1 on Sunday.
A
first goal for the club from Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling's strike
gave Pep Guardiola's side a much-needed victory and condemned the
visitors to a second defeat in a row.
Arsenal
had been unbeaten in their last six against City and looked on course
for another positive result when Theo Walcott opened the scoring with
only five minutes played at the Etihad Stadium.
Guardiola
dropped under-fire John Stones from his starting line-up, but City no
more confident against a defensive Gunners set-up until Sane stroked in
an equaliser just after half-time.
City,
who wore shirts before the game bearing Ilkay Gundogan's name following
a serious knee injury sustained against Watford in midweek, began to
play with a renewed spirit as a frustrated Wenger watched his players
offer very little fight in the second half.
Sterling's
fine finish from a brilliant Kevin De Bruyne pass 19 minutes from time
was no more than City deserved and, although Arsenal at last showed some
attacking endeavour in the closing minutes, the Gunners failed to find
an equaliser and they now drop to fourth in the table, only a point
above Tottenham in fifth.
The
visitors needed only five minutes to unlock City's porous defence.
Sanchez was given too much time and space outside the area and he
threaded a simple pass through to Walcott, who controlled the ball
before slotting past Claudio Bravo from 12 yards.
Sterling
somehow missed the chance to equalise only a minute later, heading De
Bruyne's cross from the left beyond the far post with the goal gaping.
City
began to monopolise possession as Arsenal sat deep to await the chance
to counter, but their attacking play was lacking in inspiration as they
struggled to provide Sterling - who was deployed in the central striker
role - with service.
De
Bruyne almost reached a teasing Sane cross and Yaya Toure headed a
corner straight into Petr Cech's grasp, but Alex Iwobi drilling the ball
into the net after Nacho Monreal had been flagged for offside offered a
glimpse of the threat posed by the Gunners on the break.
Two minutes after the restart, however, some more slack defending allowed City to level the scores.
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