- 26 Apr 2023 - 21:44(21:44 GMT)
Signing off
Arsenal’s title ambitions may not be fully done yet but our live blog for tonight certainly is.
Thank you for joining us and good night.
- 26 Apr 2023 - 21:33(21:33 GMT)
Haaland is making it look too easy
The Premier League is the most competitive league in the world? Hmmm, try telling Haaland that. He’s already got 33 goals in 32 games. The only teams he hasn’t scored against this year are Chelsea and Brentford, but they both play City in the next few weeks so he’ll soon be able to put that blemish right.
- 26 Apr 2023 - 21:30(21:30 GMT)
7️⃣ #PL wins in a row! ✨
🔵 4-1 🔴 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/aGw3Jwgnrz
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 26, 2023
Advertisement - 26 Apr 2023 - 21:25(21:25 GMT)
Arsenal qualify for next season’s Champions League
As far as silver linings go, Champions League qualification isn’t bad, is it?
Results elsewhere in the Premier League mean the Gunners will be returning to the CL after seven long years. If you’d told an Arsenal fan at the start of the season that they’d have the top four secured with a month of the season to go, they’d have taken it in a heartbeat.
- 26 Apr 2023 - 21:19(21:19 GMT)
Majestic City
They’re going to win the treble, aren’t they? Tonight, they knew exactly when to click into gear, when to sit back and when to go for the kill. It was an alpha performance. There’s an underlying belief.
Manchester City’s John Stones celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with Ruben Dias and Rodri [Phil Noble/Reuters] - 26 Apr 2023 - 21:10(21:10 GMT)
What now for Arsenal?
Forget trying to win, Arsenal didn’t even compete here. Ultimately, today’s result shouldn’t be the barometer by which their season should be gauged. Many top teams have come to City and lost in this manner. Look at what happened to Bayern a couple of weeks ago.
So brush yourself off Arsenal, puff out your chest and finish the season on a high, if not at the top. Arsenal fans, I’d tell you to pray that City drop points in the next few weeks but we know that isn’t likely to happen.
- 26 Apr 2023 - 21:03(21:03 GMT)
Haaland sets a new record
ERLING HAALAND BREAKS MO SALAH'S RECORD FOR THE MOST GOALS IN A 38-GAME PREMIER LEAGUE SEASON (33) 😱🏆 pic.twitter.com/29WK963QFW
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 26, 2023
- 26 Apr 2023 - 21:01(21:01 GMT)
FULL TIME: Man City 4-1 Arsenal
A dominant performance from City tonight. They’ve smoked Arsenal here. They’re two points behind Arsenal now but they’ve got two games in hand. The title is theirs to lose.
- 26 Apr 2023 - 20:59(20:59 GMT)
GOAL!
Haaland gets the fourth. Told you it was an impossible task for Arsenal. He’s played into the middle and slots home. It’s not the cleanest finish but it doesn’t matter.
His hairband is off, locks are flowing and boy, do they look majestic. He’s such a showman, this guy.
90+5 mins: Man City 4-1 Arsenal
Advertisement - 26 Apr 2023 - 20:56(20:56 GMT)
Can someone tell Pep to smile?
He’s still bellowing instructions on the touchline, eyebrows furrowed. What a man.
90+2 mins: Man City 3-1 Arsenal
- 26 Apr 2023 - 20:54(20:54 GMT)
Five minutes of added time
Five minutes for Arsenal to do the impossible … prevent City from scoring a fourth that is.
90+1 mins: Man City 3-1 Arsenal
- 26 Apr 2023 - 20:53(20:53 GMT)
Another Arsenal comeback?
On Friday, Arsenal found themselves in a similar situation against Southampton and clawed their way back into the game after scoring twice in three minutes in the dying embers of the match.
89 mins: Man City 3-1 Arsenal
- 26 Apr 2023 - 20:50(20:50 GMT)
GOAL!
Holding scores for Arsenal. The ball falls to him in the box after a darting Trossard run into the box and from 20 yards out – he lashes home. Nice finish but surely just a consolation goal.
87 mins: Man City 3-1 Arsenal
Rob Holding celebrates scoring [Lee Smith/Action Images via Reuters] - 26 Apr 2023 - 20:48(20:48 GMT)
Arsenal subs combine well
Nelson deftly breaks and shifts the ball wide to Nketiah, who plays a dangerous cross across the face of the goal. But, there’s no red shirt at hand and Ederson watches it go safely past him.
83 mins: Man City 3-0 Arsenal
- 26 Apr 2023 - 20:46(20:46 GMT)
Surely Haaland isn’t human
Erling Haaland now has seven PL assists this season — matching Paul Scholes' best return in a single PL campaign
— Duncan Alexander (@oilysailor) April 26, 2023
- 26 Apr 2023 - 20:45(20:45 GMT)
De Bruyne bows out
A Hall of Fame performance from the Belgian wizard tonight. He leaves the pitch to a hero’s ovation and is replaced by Julian Alvarez.
For Arsenal, Saka and Jesus are replaced by Nketiah and Nelson. Nice to see the former City man Jesus being clapped by a section of the home fans.
80 mins: Man City 3-0 Arsenal
De Bruyne applauds fans after being substituted [Lee Smith/Action Images via Reuters] - 26 Apr 2023 - 20:42(20:42 GMT)
Free-kick for Arsenal
And in a good position too. Rodri handles the ball on the edge of the box.
Saka, who won the free kick, takes it and shoots well over.
78 mins: Man City 3-0 Arsenal
Advertisement - 26 Apr 2023 - 20:40(20:40 GMT)
Partey and Grealish booked
A fracas breaks out between the two, with a sprinkling of shoving and swearing. Partey’s been off-kilter today and his frustration has grown through the game.
76 mins: Man City 3-0 Arsenal
Arsenal’s Thomas Partey clashes with Manchester City’s Jack Grealish [Lee Smith/Action Images via Reuters] - 26 Apr 2023 - 20:38(20:38 GMT)
Arsenal fans sing in defiance
Loud chants of “We love you Arsenal, we do” ring around the Etihad. The players’ heads have dropped but their fans are standing tall with their chests out. No matter how it ends, it has been a season to remember for these Gooners.
74 mins: Man City 3-0 Arsenal
- 26 Apr 2023 - 20:35(20:35 GMT)
Changes for both sides
Gundogan is replaced by Mahrez for City.
Arsenal’s Smith Rowe comes on for Odegaard.
71 mins: Man City 3-0 Arsenal
Manchester City vs Arsenal 4-1 – as it happened
All the updates from the likely title decider between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium.
Published On 26 Apr 2023
This blog is now closed, thank you for joining us. These were all the updates from the Premier League clash between Manchester City and Arsenal on Wednesday, April 26.
- Manchester City demolish Arsenal 4-1 to take control in the Premier League title race.
- City are the defending champions, while Arsenal are looking for their first Premier League title since 2004.
- Arsenal have now lost their last eight meetings with City in all competitions and have still not won at Manchester City in the league since 2015.
- City striker Erling Haaland scored to move just one goal away from matching the all-time Premier League record of 34 goals in a season and 50 in all competitions in his first year in English football.