Man City 3-1 Arsenal: De Bruyne shines as EPL leaders go 8 points clear

Premier League leaders Manchester City continued their blistering form with a 3-1 victory over Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium.  

Kevin De Bruyne netted the opener (19) with a low, left-footed effort from 16 yards into the bottom right corner, and Sergio Aguero made it 2-0 from the penalty spot (50) after Raheem Sterling was shoved in the box by Nacho Monreal.

Sub Alexandre Lacazette halved the deficit with a low drive (65) through Ederson's legs, but City regained their two-goal lead through their own sub Gabriel Jesus (74), netting from close range despite David Silva being in an offside position before crossing.

GOAL

19: GOAL! Man City 1-0 Arsenal (De Bruyne)

City have been piling on the pressure for the last five minutes, and they get the opener!

De Bruyne's flash-shot is well saved by Cech to his right, but the Belgian isn't finished there. He wants more...

He plays a nice one-two on the edge of the box with Fernandinho, before finding the bottom right corner past Cech with his left foot! It did go through the legs of an Arsenal defender, and Cech did get a touch, but the strike was too strong for him!

50: GOAL! Man City 2-0 Arsenal (Aguero pen)

Nightmare start to the second half for Arsenal!

It's brilliant from Fernandinho, who dinks a lovely ball in-behind the defence for Sterling. He gets goal-side of Monreal, who is struggling, and goes down under the Spaniard's challenge. Oliver points to the spot, rightly so, and that's a yellow for Monreal.

Aguero steps up, goes to Cech's left, and it hits the post and goes in! Inch perfect!

65: GOAL! Man City 2-1 Arsenal (Lacazette)

GAME ON!

Arsenal have been pushing, City have dropped off, and the deficit is halved!

Iwobi slips in Ramsey, who finds Lacazette with a lovely ball. The Frenchman composes himself, shoots low, and it goes through Ederson's legs and into the goal!

74: GOAL! Man City 3-1 Arsenal (Jesus)

City regain their two-goal lead, but Arsenal are furious, and rightly so. 

Silva is found behind the defence on the right of the box, and looks offside. Arsenal players half stop, thinking the flag will go up, but it doesn't, and Silva squares for Jesus to convert past Cech from six yards!

Replays show he was half a yard offside, and Xhaka's protestations see him receive a yellow. 

MATCH EVENTS

3: CHANCE! Real warning for Arsenal. City attack in numbers, Sterling feeds De Bruyne, who then feeds Aguero, but he slices it a couple yards over the bar from an angle, 12 yards out. 

12: CHANCE! City should score! Sane gets in-behind the Arsenal defence on the left of the box, sticks it across the face of goal for Sterling to tap into the empty net, but he's inches away from it under pressure from a few Arsenal shirts!

35: CHANCE! What is Sterling doing here? That's so unlike him this season...

Ramsey is bullied off the ball by Aguero, and De Bruyne feeds Sterling. They're 2 v 1, as Sterling has Sane for company, but his square pass is awful, overhit, and out of play. That's a near-certain goal if Sterling rolls that into Sane's path.

56: CLOSE! Bizarre happenings here... Iwobi has a pot-shot from 20 yards, it's straight at Ederson, but drops it! He casually looks to gather at the second attempt, does so, but is shoved over the line by Ramsey! Definite foul, but a lack of certainty over the goalkeeper's handling there...

69: SAVE! What a save by Cech! Sane's corner is flicked on at the near post by Silva, and it somehow finds Jesus at the far post... he slams it goalwards, but Cech is down well to save! How did that get across the face of goal so easily?

Player ratings

Man City: Ederson (6), Walker (7), Stones (6), Otamendi (6), Delph (6), Fernandinho (7), Silva (8), Sane (7), De Bruyne (8), Sterling (7), Aguero (7)

Subs: Gundogan (6), Jesus (7), Silva (NA)

Arsenal: Cech (5), Bellerin (5), Monreal (4), Koscielny (5), Kolasinac (5), Coquelin (4), Xhaka (4), Ramsey (5), Ozil (4), Sanchez (5), Iwobi (5)

Subs: Lacazette (6), Wilshere (NA), Giroud (NA)