Arsenal produced a statement 5-1 win against Manchester City to remind everyone they won’t be handing the league title to Liverpool on a plate anytime soon.
Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, Kai Havertz and teenagers Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri were all on the scoresheet on an afternoon when Erling Haaland’s equaliser sparked an impressive reaction from the Gunners who ended up coasting to victory in front of a buoyant home crowd.
Here’s what the managers, players, pundits and stattos made of the action…
Mikel Arteta on a fine win…
It’s a great day. Considering the opposition that we played, the result we got and in the manner we did it. It makes it a special day. A lot of things have to go your way. They are so good they force you to be deeper and be in a situation that you don’t want to be. Sometimes you need a bit of luck and after that you have to be efficient. We had to be brave and it paid off. Things have to go your way and the line is so thin. I liked that the team showed a lot of personality and competitiveness.
Source: BBC Match of the Day
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Pep Guardiola on his side’s performance…
I regret the last 15/20 minutes, the rest was a really good game for our side. It’s difficult to understand when you see the result but this is my feeling. It’s happened all season, we are giving away too many things, we are aware this cannot happen, it happened. But we reacted really well and we played with personality and we defended so good and then with the ball we were a threat but unfortunately after the second happened, again many times we had the momentum. For the deflection and in other situations we conceded the goals. You have to overcome [it], you cannot lose the control, it’s 90/95 minutes. You cannot finish in the way we played, we could’ve scored three more but the team has to be stable it doesn’t matter what happened.
Source: BBC Sport
Arsenal 5-1 Man City 📈
Arsenal hammered Manchester City 5-1 to show everyone that the Premier League title race is far from over.
Look back at the action with our Arsenal vs Man City stats page from the game at the Emirates Stadium.
theanalyst.com/2025/02/arse…
— Opta Analyst (@optaanalyst.optajoe.com) February 2, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Martin Odegaard on Arsenal’s teenage goalscorers…
I think what they’re doing is unbelievable and I cannot praise them enough. Myles played from the start with confidence and Ethan coming on, impacted straight away. I love to see the confidence and the eagerness. I am totally proud of them.
Source: BBC Match of the Day
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John Stones on a humbling defeat…
It’s difficult. All of us don’t take losing well. It’s hard for me to put into words really straight after a game like that. [My] pride’s hurt. Sorry to the fans who travelled to come and watch that and how we played in that last 30 minutes was not acceptable. As a collective, that is not us. It’s not nice to be involved in that. I give credit to Arsenal, it’s not an easy place to come to and they played really well. For 60 or 65 minutes we played some great football at times and were in the game. It was a swinging point I suppose, and it swung the wrong way for us. I’m angry, upset, personally and collectively, for how the game finished for many reasons.
Source: ManCity.com
Ethan Nwaneri’s goal ended a passing sequence of 36 uninterrupted passes in a move that lasted one minute & 54 seconds and involved every Arsenal outfield player.
It was the longest passing move leading to a Premier League goal since September 2023.
— Opta Analyst (@optaanalyst.optajoe.com) February 2, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Kai Havertz on Arsenal’s press…
I think we managed to press them quite well. Didn’t give them much time. I mean, they are still a top team and sometimes they beat the press, but I think our energy was good. We used all our chances and at the end it was a good game.
Source: Sky Sports
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Arteta on the atmosphere…
To live moments like this with the stadium, that energy, with that cohesion between the team and our supporters, that’s something to build on.
Source: Arsenal.com
Arsenal are only the second team to go unbeaten in four consecutive Premier League games against Man City in Pep Guardiola’s reign.
#ARSMCI
— Orbinho (@orbinho.bsky.social) February 2, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Declan Rice on a big individual performance…
These big games, this is why Arsenal bought me, you know. I always want to step up in the big games and I know I can deliver for this club in the big moments and today I knew how big it was, I just had that fire in my stomach and wanted to put things right from the first game in the season when we played them, it was 2-2, we all did. To win today like we did, 5-1, it was a real special day.
Source: beIN SPORTS
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Jamie Carragher on Declan Rice…
Rice is one of those, an all-round midfielder – a bit like Roy Keane. He’s almost a throwback to a midfielder in a 4-4-2 who can do anything. His power, his pressing, he’s a wonderful midfield player.
Source: BBC Sport (via Sky Sports)
18 – In the form of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, this was the first time that two players aged 18 or younger had scored for the same team in a Premier League game since Everton v Fulham in April 2007 (James Vaughan & Victor Anichebe). Fearless.
— OptaJoe (@optajoe.com) February 2, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Joe Hart on his old team’s struggles…
They are poor at the moment, they are fragile and they haven’t been fragile for so long. You could tell that Arsenal had no fear today. They respected them and know what they are capable of but didn’t roll their eyes when they conceded. The stadium didn’t go ‘oh here we go’. The fear factor that City have built up over the years has slightly gone but they will go back to the drawing board.
Source: premierleague.com
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Jamie Carragher on Lewis-Skelly’s youthful arrogance…
He’s got a football arrogance, the only person that comes to mind is Wayne Rooney, they feel like ‘I’m the man on this football pitch’. Jude Bellingham’s got it, ‘I’ve been here two minutes, I’m owning this place’. It looks like he’s almost one of the leaders in the team.
Source: Sky Sports Super Sunday
5 – Youngest players to score against a Pep Guardiola team in all competitions (in his top-flight career):
17y 289d – Jude Bellingham 17y 318d – Ethan Nwaneri 18y 60d – Niklas Süle 18y 63d – Kylian Mbappé
18y 129d – Myles Lewis-Skelly
Generation.
— OptaJoe (@optajoe.com) February 2, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Tony Adams on Lewis-Skelly…
It was great to see the kids come on and play well. Myles has invented this new position. We used to have inside forwards, we have inside defenders now. Phenomenal, what a kid what a prospect.
Source: premierleague.com
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Arteta on Lewis-Skelly threatening in the final third…
I wasn’t expecting it. I was talking today with one of our staff members about that he needs to threaten more in the final third when he gets in this position. Riccy did it the other day against Wolves and he scored. Our full backs are now generating these kind of things. The same with Jurrien, he adds threat, he gave a different kind of problem to the opposition, so great.
Source: Post-game press conference
Ian Wright on Arsenal proving they can be ruthless…
I did say at the start you have to respect City but what has been happening with Arsenal is chances. They’ve had chances in games and not taken them and then other teams have got into the games. Today they were so well drilled and go the goals. Everyone’s confidence rose and that is what we are capable of doing.
Gary Neville on where Arsenal go from here…
It’s so important Arsenal made a statement today and they’ve done just that. Mikel Arteta has to get that intensity and tempo from the last 30 minutes for the rest of the season. Hang in there. Be there if Liverpool fall.
Source: Sky Sports
Only two players have scored more goals in all competitions for Arsenal this season than Ethan Nwaneri:
15 Havertz 9 Saka 7 Gabriel Jesus 7 Martinelli
7 Nwaneri
#ARSMCI
— Orbinho (@orbinho.bsky.social) February 2, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Pep Guardiola on Lewis-Skelly doing Haaland’s meditation celebration…
What happened? Oh, I didn’t see. They did that, that’s good, that’s good. Haaland’s celebration, they have done it? [Keeps staring at desk] That’s good…that’s good. [Walks off]
Source: Post-game press conference
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Arteta on transfer news…
I don’t know, my phone has been off with the transfer window, forbidden to call me, text me about any of that. My focus is that we have the best preparation we can have for Wednesday and that was the only thing I was interested in.
Source: Post-game press conference
Arsenal’s Premier League record with Thomas Partey, Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice starting together in midfield: P12 W10 D2 L0. Twenty-nine goals scored and only seven conceded.
— Nick Wright (@nickpwright.bsky.social) February 2, 2025 at 8:23 PM
