A miserable Arsenal of 10 players in tatters from a Manchester City devoid of attackers | Premier League

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For Arsenal, disgrace follows the humiliation and misery caused by the wrong kind of history. Their worst start to a season in 67 years leaves them aimless, aimless, powerless and rudderless, rooted in the relegation zone and seemingly bogged down in a crisis. Europe’s biggest spender was gutted this summer by a team that proved unable to pay any of the millions for Harry Kane or Cristiano Ronaldo and didn’t need either.

Romelu Lukaku beat him last week, and Arsenal were crushed by Manchester City’s second attackers, Gabriel Jesus and Ferran Torres. Pep Guardiola’s first Premier League side unchanged since 2017 has made his case that he is happy with the team at his disposal.

But inevitably, Arsenal were equally battered by a self-destructive streak embodied when Granit Xhaka was sent off for a ridiculous two-legged dash at Joao Cancelo, a decision he had the bitterness to complain about.

After City unveiled a statue of Vincent Kompany, Arsenal gave an inappropriate tribute to a great centre-back with some defensive statues. City were excellent, Jack Grealish playing with bravado, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan with a little class, Torres and Jesus ready to rush it all, but Arsenal were miserable.

A decade on from their 8-2 humiliation at Old Trafford, this has been another agonizing trip to Manchester. Mikel Arteta feels unlucky and three matches with a small sample size, but Arsenal’s plight calls into question whether a junior manager could change that or if he should be given the chance. As Guardiola’s companion, he helped City gain 100 points in the Premier League. As Arsenal manager, he has seen the team drop to historic lows.

Mikel Arteta’s team has not scored a goal in the league this season in three matches. Photo: Jason Kerndof/Action Images/Reuters

Most of the things he tried this season backfired and this was no exception. If Arteta tried to adopt a policy of safety in numbers by incorporating an additional centre-back, Arsenal would have conceded two goals before many fans took their seats. Not since 2017 had he lost 2-0 in a Premier League match so quickly and that was before Xhaka’s departure, once again he seemed like a burden.

It was vaguely ironic and entirely plausible that Arsenal could have twice conceded a header from Gundogan in quick succession. One, however, made the breakthrough. Gundogan was an unlikely reason why City didn’t need attackers to reclaim the title, a passer-by who gained a predatory streak. Last season’s top scorer showed he kept it, embodied in the six-yard box to the finish. It reflected badly on Calum Chambers, who lost the German, but well on Jesus. A week after he set up three goals against Norwich, he sent in a deep cross.

Arteta’s surprise call-up of Syd Kolasinac, a player whose future looked more likely at the start of 11, meant Arsenal sent two left-backs via trade yet still received three crosses from the left. Silva handed the second, bouncing in the penalty area where he missed Cedric Soares, Xhaka and Rob Holding. Torres did not. He was similarly clinical at the end, head-butting a cross from substitute Riyad Mahrez of the same ward.

The Spaniard looked in the attack position, holding the position until Kane or Ronaldo arrived. Alternatively, he can claim the role on a semi-permanent basis. With Jesus reviving his football career as a right winger, Torres is the closest to the heart of attack in a squad with a heavyweight midfielder. His goal in the end was a hunter but it showed another side of his match for City’s third place.

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Ederson almost highlighted the dangers of Guardiola’s footballing philosophy, as he almost donated a goal to Arsenal after Emile Smith Rowe missed his passes, but this risk paid a reward. City’s third move was a move that moved from square to square, starting with a pass from the goalkeeper to the center forward. Torres led a break, Grealish rushed into the penalty area to get Jesus up and hit the ball from close range. Seven days after Grealish’s first goal for City, it was his first assist since his £100m move.

Rodri led in a side shot from 20 yards. He was appointed by Torres but Arsenal blocked him. At the moment, as in the game, it was very easy for City.

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