Leaking goals, surrendering leads - Arsenal are sleepwalking out of title race

One-nil up, 2-1 down was the recurring theme of the week for Arsenal and Arsene Wenger.

From a promising start to a torrid second half, the only difference here was that the type of goals the Gunners conceded this time round weren’t from set pieces. Instead, moments of individual class from Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling punished the north London side who turned in a typical Jekyll and Hyde performance at the Etihad Stadium.

Wenger went into the Premier League clash against Manchester City not knowing what to expect from either team, saying as much in his pre-match interview with Sky Sports. The Frenchman insisted that his Arsenal side had learnt their lessons from the midweek defeat to Everton and would show the required resolve in a crucial fixture in the north West - and the early signs looked promising. A goal in under five minutes from Theo Walcott after great build-up play from Hector Bellerin and Alexis Sanchez saw the England man released through before finishing excellently past Claudio Bravo.

But Walcott’s goal was the only moment in the first half of real note. Despite the beautiful possession football and attacking prowess, Arsenal couldn’t find the second goal to give them breathing space ahead of the second half.

City’s decision to swap De Bruyne and Sterling on the flanks seemed to provide the catalyst but it was the slowness of Arsenal’s defenders to push up and link with the midfield which was their eventual downfall. 

Sane found himself through on goal just two minutes after the break and finished expertly past Petr Cech before Raheem Sterling’s superb effort 20 minutes from time proved to be the winner. The Czech stopper said after the game that there were a handful of players in his eyeline - one of which appeared to be David Silva, but the goal itself was Sterling at his best; cutting inside, turning Nacho Monreal before striking it inside Cech’s near post.