Positives & negatives from Arsenal's 5-1 win over Manchester City

Arsenal put the champions to the sword on Sunday afternoon.

Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey gratefully accepted the considerable helping hand Manchester City offered with some comical defending and reckless passing at the Emirates. Odegaard tapped in the opener, while Partey's shot deflected off John Stones to cancel out Erlin Haaland's equaliser.

Myles Lewis-Skelly sealed the deal in style and had a little something for City's loud-mouthed No. 9 in celebration before Kai Havertz finally found his range in front of goal and Ethan Nwaneri refused to be left out of the fun.

A win for the ages by @Arsenal over the reigning Premier League champions 😮#ARSMCI pic.twitter.com/nyGdZTPuAN — Premier League (@premierleague) February 2, 2025

City's initial calamity at the back happened inside the first two minutes. It put Havertz in, but the shot-shy frontman teed up Odegaard to apply the finishing touch.

The visitors, in all honesty, bossed the next hour or so, making Haaland's cleverly crafted headed goal well deserved. Fortunately for Arsenal, City kept a finger hovering over the self-destruct sensor all day, and it went off again when Phil Foden measured a pass straight to Partey, who smacked the ball in off the back of Stones.

Rather than a repeat of the previous City tidal wave of pressure, more smart Arsenal pressing from Declan Rice allowed Lewis-Skelly to put an exclamation point on things. And to let Haaland know all about it.

18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly scoring against Man City and then hitting Erling Haaland's celebration in his presence 🥶 pic.twitter.com/j1C7vhUFjW — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 2, 2025

Lewis-Skelly is one big positive from this satisfying beatdown of the soon-to-be dethroned Premier League champions, but it wasn't all smiles for Arsenal. Not when key players at both ends of the team continued to show signs of frailty.

Positives & negatives from Arsenal's 5-1 win over Man City

Lewis-Skelly had something special for City and Haaland | Alex Pantling/GettyImages

Positive #1: Dominant Myles Lewis-Skelly, with a touch of needle

Even before his goal and etheral middle finger to Haaland, Lewis-Skelly was beavering his way through another eye-catching performance. The 18-year-old was flawless in possession, neat and efficient, perhaps lacking ambition, but never taking the kind of chances that doomed City.

Where Lewis-Skelly shone the most was via his ability to win the ball in multiple areas of the pitch. The deluxe inverted full-back was a key cog in the Arsenal pressing machine, winning possession high up the pitch, overloading the middle and keeping City simultaneously frustrated and vulnerable to the counter.

No account of Lewis-Skelly's game would be complete without reference to the goal and THE celebration. Let's shelve the Shakespeare and simply say enjoy.

Myles Lewis-Skelly scores his first goal for Arsenal! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/ctqscXZRet — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 2, 2025

Should City deputy goalkeeper Stefan Ortega have put a stronger hand to the ball? Perhaps. Have the Gunners got a genuinely special talent on their hands in Lewis-Skelly? Abso-bleeping-lutely.

Negative #1: Erratic William Saliba

Saliba was beaten too easily for City's goal. | Justin Setterfield/GettyImages

William Saliba is starting to worry me. The so-called "Rolls-Royce" of central defenders is becoming increasingly erratic.

It's now common for the Frenchman to veer wildly from a standout performance to a timid display. There was certainly timidity about how easily Saliba was beaten in the air for City's goal.

Okay, so let's get the obligatory disclaimer out of the way by admitting Haaland makes defenders at every level of every pedigree look foolish. There's plenty of truth in that statement, but not enough to entirely excuse how static and leaden-footed Saliba was when Haaland ghosted in front of him and rose unopposed to head across a previously unbeatable David Raya.

A defender in the world-class bracket shouldn't falter as often as Saliba does. No matter if he was put there by hipster hype.

Continued on the next slide...

Positive #2: Kai Havertz got his goal

Havertz finally rewarded Arsenal's patience | Catherine Ivill - AMA/GettyImages

He got his goal and boy did he need it. Havertz finally scored at the umpteenth time of asking when he took his 76th-minute chance with the kind of instinctive confidence that made you wonder how he'd squandered so many easier chances earlier.

The slings and arrows of Havertz's game can be frustating to endure, but his ceasless work ethic, along with a seeming imperviousness to the shame of missing sitters, keeps him involved. It helps Mikel Arteta barely has any alternatives to Havertz while Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling are both crocked, but faith in the German has a strange habit of being handsomely rewarded.

So it proved when Havertz made clean contact with the back of the ball after a precise swing of his left foot. The emphatic finish was greeted with as much relief as joy.

Havertz needed the goal and every Arsenal fan casting eyes on the game knew it. Will this superb strike be the start of sustained excellence in front of goal from the Gunners' No. 9 by default?

Hopefully, but with Havertz it's safer not to make any predictions.

Negative #2: Profligate Havertz

Havertz wasted his share of chances. | Marc Atkins/GettyImages

It's time to face the facts. Havertz will probably never become the next Robin van Persie. Yet, nor will he be replaced at the tip of Arsenal's attack any time soon.

Inexplicable misses and quality finishes are just part and parcel of the Havertz merry go-round. We're all simply aboard for the swings and roundabouts.

Life with Haverz was summed up by his Jekyll & Hyde first half. The pass for Odegaard's opener was smart and unselfish, but truly accomplished finishers keep shooting privileges for themselves.

Havertz isn't accomplished enough for that kind of me-first attitude in the final third. His lack of confidence showed with this shot dragged wide of goal that left Jamie Carragher suitably fuming.

🗣️ "He has to score that!" @Carra23 says Kai Havertz should have sealed the game for Arsenal! pic.twitter.com/ce6RECQ1tz — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 2, 2025

Wasted opportunities like these are why the calls for Arteta to splash the cash for a certain Ollie Watkins won't and shouldn't go away.

Positive #3: David Raya is a title-ready goalkeeper

Raya can be Arsenal's edge in the title race. | Alex Pantling/GettyImages

If Arsenal have any edge over Liverpool in the title race, it's surely found between the sticks. Alisson is a decorated stopper, but the Brazilian's injury record has added a few too many entries in recent years.

Raya, by contrast, is Arsenal's stalwart with the gloves. He was in exceptional form to deny City several times when the away side owned the ball after Odegaard's early goal.

Physics-defying acrobatics and strong hands kept Arsenal in the game. Raya's best moment was an exceptional save to prevent Josko Gvardiol from heading an equaliser.

DAVID RAYA MAKES A BRILLIANT REACTION SAVE. ❌

📺 Peacock | #ARSMCI pic.twitter.com/pSJuvH71Fh — NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) February 2, 2025

An early leveller would have inspired City to turn their territorial dominance into an advantage at the break, but Raya was having none of it. He stood tall and protected Arsenal against top-class opposition when things weren't plain sailing.

That's the mark of a 'Keeper ready to get his hands on a league title. A few more performances like these during the run-in might tip the balance away from Liverpool and in Arsenal's favour during the season's decisive months.

READ THE LATEST ARSENAL NEWS HERE!

Click here to read article