Arsenal 5-1 Man City: ‘Tenacity, endeavour, composure’ – how did Gunners clinch statement win?

Arsenal’s intensity and physicality was probably the most glaring difference between the two sides, and as the game went on it became too much for City to handle.

Whatever was happening, even when they were soaking up pressure, Arsenal still had the energy to launch dangerous counter-attacks, and they ended up overpowering City.

Again, that was not just down to one or two players. As well as the midfield, their two centre-halves are athletic and strong, and their full-backs are quick and willing to get after opponents and put their foot in.

I think Kai Havertz deserves some credit as well, because after that big miss at 1-0, it would have been easy for him to feel sorry for himself. Instead he kept going, kept working hard, and got his goal in the end.

Collectively, Arsenal’s mentality was extremely impressive and, tactically, they were spot on too.

One of the things I thought was particularly clever, and which was definitely a ploy by Arteta, was the amount of times their goalkeeper David Raya went long when he had the ball.

Arsenal did not even appear too worried about whether they won the ball or not when Raya played it forward – they just did not want to give City the chance to press them.

It meant that when City did get the ball this way, they were in their own half and a long way from goal, so Arsenal had a chance to set their defensive traps again.

There were still times the Gunners played out from the back, when there was more space, but that was only because Raya had played so many long balls that City had dropped off to deal with them. Again, their variation was key.