Bernardo Silva stunner seals comfortable Man City win at Arsenal
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ByEurosport
Updated 12/08/2018 at 18:00 GMT
Premier League, Emirates Stadium – Arsenal 0 Manchester City 2 (Sterling 14, Silva 64)
Bernardo Silva of Manchester City celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on August 12, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.
Image credit: Getty Images
Bernardo Silva’s second-half stunner helped Manchester City open the defence of their Premier League title with a 2-0 win at Arsenal.
Raheem Sterling gave the visitors the lead inside 15 minutes when he cut inside Hector Bellerin before firing the ball past a near-motionless Petr Cech in the Arsenal goal.
The hosts improved as the game wore on but offered little threat to the goal of Ederson while City were opening up their hosts at will.
Sergio Aguero passed up a hugely presentable chance just before Silva put the result beyond any doubt with 64 minutes gone with a thunderous strike from a Benjamin Mendy cutback, as the Unai Emery era at Arsenal ended in disappointing fashion.
It doesn't get much easier for Arsenal as they travel to Stamford Bridge next Saturday, while City play host to Huddersfield the following day.
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Manchester City
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TALKING POINT
City's second-string side still too good for off-the-pace Arsenal: Vincent Kompany, Kevin De Bruyne, Leroy Sane and Nicolas Otamendi all started on the bench but yet City were still far superior than their hosts. It is supposed to be a new era for Arsenal under Emery but the same old problems were still evident; a vulnerable defence, a soft centre and an attack with few ideas. It may take weeks or months for the Spaniard to get it right but by then the reigning champions will be out of sight.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City): Started six of England's seven matches in the World Cup without getting on the scoresheet, but within 14 minutes of the new Premier League season he had already registered for his club to underline just how Pep Guardiola gets the best out of him. This was another fine driving performance from the 23-year-old; he constantly found space between defence and midfield, dropping into dangerous areas and linking the play. Deserved his goal.
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Raheem Sterling of Manchester City (R) celebrates after scoring his team's first goal with Kyle Walker (L) and Fernandinho (C) during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Emirates Stadium
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PLAYER RATINGS
Arsenal: Cech 6, Bellerin 6, Sokratis 6, Mustafi 6, Maitland-Niles N/A, Guendouzi 5, Xhaka 6, Mkhitaryan 5, Ramsey 5, Ozil 5, Aubameyang 6. Subs: Lacazette 6, Torreira 6, Lichtsteiner 5.
Manchester City: Ederson 6, Walker 6, Stones 7, Laporte 7, Mendy 6, Silva 8, Fernandinho 7, Gundogan 7, Mahrez 7, Aguero 7, Sterling 8. Subs: De Bruyne 5, Jesus 6, Sane N/A.
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Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey in action
Image credit: Reuters
KEY MOMENTS
14' - GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Man City: The visitors have been knocking on the door for some time and now they find the opener. It's much too easy for Sterling. He is allowed too much time and space to cut inside, dancing past two challenges, before curling a low shot into the bottom corner.
28' - DOUBLE SAVE! Cech fumbles Mahrez's vicious free-kick but he gathers himself quickly to block the rebound from Laporte.
41' - JUST WIDE! Almost a goal on his debut for Mahrez! He finds himself in a one-v-one situation with Lichsteiner, he drops the shoulder and flashes a low shot which goes agonisingly wide of the right-hand post.
63' - GREAT CHANCE! A golden moment for Aguero to double City's advantage... but the Argentine makes a mess of it! He is released through on goal, De Bruyne is waiting in a central position for a tap-in but Aguero goes for glory, shooting straight at Cech.
64' - GOAL! Arsenal 0-2 Man City: Aguero couldn't finish but Bernardo Silva does. And it's a beautiful finish. Lovely inter-link play from Mendy and Sterling, the former cuts it back to Silva who lashes it home with a first-time shot into the top corner.
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Granit Xhaka of Arsenal and Mesut Ozil of Arsenal look dejected after conceding a second goal
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KEY STATS
- Raheem Sterling scored his 50th Premier League goal, with this strike against Arsenal only his third from outside the box.
- Unai Emery is the first Arsenal boss to lose his opening league fixture since Steve Burtenshaw's team lost 1-0 to Spurs in March 1986.
- Manchester City have won consecutive top-flight away games against Arsenal for the first time since 1936.
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