Arsenal vs Manchester City: 5 Talking Points & Tactical Analysis, Premier League 2018/19
The final Premier League encounter of the opening game week saw Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Raheem Sterling opened the scoring for the defending champions early in the first half and that is how it stayed going into the break despite both sides creating a number of chances.
The second half saw improvement from arsenal before Bernardo Silva made it 2-0 to ensure Pep Guardiola's side came away with all three points to see him get the better of Emery yet again.
Here are the major talking points from the game.
#1 Arsenal's confident start undone by Man City's possession and early goal
Arsenal started strong, what with it being their first home game. With vociferous support for every good move or pass, it was the Gunners who were on the front foot.
Emery's side pressed hard when City had the ball and won the ball back a few times in the opening minutes. When City tried to go wide, their full-backs were well contained as they had no room to cut the ball back in.
But once City started getting into their groove, they used their possession a lot better. They were able to create combinations in midfield and their forward line managed to give defenders the slip time and again.
And City pounced when a bout of nervousness took hold at the back for Arsenal. Raheem Sterling opened the scoring with such consummate ease that it seemed like the same, familiar failings were back to haunt Arsenal.
Receiving the ball out on the left of the box, Sterling dribbled parallel to the box and went past both Hector Bellerin and a poor challenge from Matteo Guendouzi before firing a shot that sneaked through the gap of defenders and beat Petr Cech.
On his part, Cech could have done better to attempt a save but seemed to be in two minds, eventually pulling out of the dive and watching the ball sail past him into the back of the net.