Manchester City beat Arsenal in a match that epitomized the best of English football, closing the gap at the top of the Premier League to just three points.
Man City beat Arsenal to heat up the title race (Image: Getty Images)
And if you think about it, some people think the Premier League is boring. That was until the two best teams in the country came together and united with the detractors of English first-class football.
Put on a show that deserves to put these ridiculous claims to rest once and for all. Rayan Cherki’s mesmerizing skills were worth the price of admission alone.
And if you were worried about Manchester City having to replace the departing Bernardo Silva, worry no more. Because Cherki has more than what you need to stuff a boot of this size.
But more about Cherki later. Because the Frenchman was just one part of an enthralling and often magical game at the Etihad. In an instant, a brilliant showdown turned into an outrageous development.
read more: Sky Sports forced to apologize for adult Erling Haaland interview after Man City’s win over Arsenalread more: Man City vs Arsenal player rating, 9/10 stars shine with Pep Guardiola’s big win
Two teams living on the border. We walk a tightrope of equal parts hope, fear, elation, and despair. A few weeks ago, when these rivals clashed in the Carabao Cup final, the game was so dull it could have put glassy eyes to sleep.
However, this reunion was the exact opposite. For the first time, a football match delivers on what was promised in advance. It was a daunting task just to see all the details, let alone be a part of it.
The woodwork was struck four times. At one point, the ball rolled all over City’s goal line and no one in a red shirt could kick it in.
City took the lead with a stunning goal. Cherki then looked out at the visiting supporters and reminded us that there are no limits to his level of gamesmanship.
But their lead lasted less than a minute, as Arsenal equalized with an ugly goal from one of the best goalkeepers in the world, Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The same Donnarumma then produced a world-class save to turn the match in his favour. At a critical moment, a player fell down. Some people fell down on purpose to fool the referee.
Erling Haaland scores the winning goal for Man City (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Silva almost scored directly from a corner kick. This was probably the most ironic goal of the season considering who the opponent was. Arteta was almost hit in the face when the linesman raised his flag.
The Arsenal manager was then punched in the nose, but Erling Haaland, who had barely played a role in the game, appeared out of nowhere and scored the winning goal.
There was a scuffle in the second half that ended with Haaland having his shirt ripped from his back. A more ominous clash then occurred, with Gabriel and Haaland clashing heads.
While City’s players celebrated as if they had won the title itself, Silva hit back and scored what would have been his second goal of the match after trying to deny Kai Havertz.
It was soccer at full throttle from start to finish. Something like Helter Skelter, which became a trademark of the British game. A kind of beautiful madness in Manchester. That in itself is an important occasion.
Something that oscillates between the sublime and the ridiculous. And one of the managers was left in heaven and the other in hell. The Etihad must have been a lonely and unforgiving place for Mikel Arteta as he approached the final whistle.
The Spaniard would not have wanted the match to end. And the millions of neutral countries watching the game around the world probably felt the same way. For completely different reasons.
Because the demise of our national sport has been proven to be exaggerated. And even if it left us temporarily, English football is definitely back now.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+ and Ultimate TV packages
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundles to include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, plus 135 channels and complete coverage of the Premier League and EFL from Sky.
Sky has over 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more, with at least 215 of them live from the top flight, along with F1, darts and golf.
