Reigning champions Manchester City picked up where they left off from last season after putting in a solid shift at the Emirates and spoiling the welcome party for new Arsenal boss Unai Emery.
2018/2019 Premier League
0-2
Match Events
9' CHANCE! Sterling's shot saved
Some good saves from Cech in recent minutes as a throw-in is tapped into the path of Sterling by Aguero, and the England winger makes a tricky run into the area, getting the better of Mustafi, before striking but his effort is turned behind by Cech at the near post.
14' GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Man City (Sterling)
A wonderful goal from Sterling and Man City are on the scoresheet 14 minutes into their title defence.
He picks up the ball on the top left corner before trotting across the top of the area, beating Bellering, and striking, sending the ball flying past Cech in the goal.
28' Great saves from Cech
SAVE!!! Mahrez takes the free-kick after a dummy run from Gundogan and it whistles through the two Man City players in the wall, with Cech getting down well to push the ball away before also smothering Laporte's follow up effort.
56' Lacazette's shot misses to the right
Lazacette goes close with his first touches of the game! Mkhitaryan lays the ball off for his team-mate on the edge of the box, he takes the ball down and then hits the ball on the volley, but it goes narrowly wide of the post.
64' GOAL! Arsenal 0-2 Man City (Bernardo Silva)
Bernardo Silva doubles the Champions lead, after a shaky 10 minutes in which Arsenal were starting to get on top. Mendy races forward down the left, plays a one-two with Sterling and the cuts the ball back to Silva who fired the ball past Cech, who had no chance.
79' Offside! Aubameyang's goal isn't allowed
Aubameyang has the ball in the net, but the linesman has his flag up for offside. Torreira plays a great ball forward for the striker, who just manages to get on the end of it and poke the ball into the net, off the crossbar. However, the officials pull it back immediately for offside
Match Report
Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva got Manchester City's Premier League title defence up and running with a deserved 2-0 win at Arsenal.
Sterling made six starts in England's semi-final run at the 2018 World Cup and only returned to training with City on Monday.
He rewarded Pep Guardiola's faith with a lively showing and a clinically dispatched 14th-minute opener.
The first game of Arsenal's new era under Unai Emery often proved a thankless task but there were moments of encouragement before Silva settled the issue with a brilliantly taken second in the 64th minute.
What it means: City show their class, plenty of work ahead for Emery
After Liverpool's impressive close-season in the transfer market and emphatic 4-0 win over West Ham it was time for the champions to restate their own credentials. The manner in which City beguiled their hosts during the opening half hour showed they unquestionably remain the team to beat this term. Emery's men fought gamely and he will get a better read on his team when they face Maurizio Sarri's similarly embryonic project at Chelsea.
Line-ups
Arsenal XI: Petr Cech, M. Özil, Sokratis, Aubameyang, Mkhitaryan, Ramsey, Mustafi, G. Xhaka, Bellerín, A.M Niles, M. Guendouzi
Subs: S. Lichtsteiner, Lacazette, B. Leno, M.Elneny, A. Iwobi, L. Torreira, Holding
Manchester City XI: S. Agüero, Fernandinho, K. Walker, İ. Gündoğan, Mahrez, R. Sterling, B. Mendy, A.Laporte, J. Stones, Ederson Moraes, Bernardo Silva
Subs: V. Kompany, C. Bravo, N. Otamendi, K. De Bruyne, Sané, Gabriel Jesus, Foden