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Kevin De Bruyne breaks Arsenal’s spirit within two minutes, more VAR pettifogging at Anfield and Mason Greenwood makes a pressing case for a start for Manchester United
The scoreline suggests a clear and obvious case of déjà vu. But City’s victory at the Emirates Stadium was a little different from their other recent wins against Arsenal. Pep Guardiola started with an unusual 4-2-3-1 formation, with two holding midfielders and Kevin De Bruyne as a No 10, and his team seemed more content than usual to allow the opposition to have the ball. They knew they could slice and dice Arsenal with sudden attacking thrusts, especially with De Bruyne in such regal form. There was a savage ruthlessness to City’s play and Arsenal were 3-0 down after 40 minutes despite having more of the ball. With Arsenal’s spirit broken, the match finished with the familiar sight of City passing the ball around in the opposition half. For once City’s effortless possession did not tell the story of the game. Rob Smyth Continue reading...