Arsenal 1-0 Man City: Analysis

Phil McNulty, BBC Sport chief football writer

Manchester City lost successive Premier League games for the first time in nearly five years with defeat at Arsenal.

City went into one of the season’s biggest games so far determined to hit back after the loss at Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, but instead saw a 15-game run without defeat in the league against Arsenal – including 12 successive wins – brought to a halt by Gabriel Martinelli’s deflected late winner.

It came after a strangely timid City performance, with only four shots in the game and few real opportunities after Josko Gvardiol’s early effort was cleared off the line by Declan Rice and Nathan Ake fired over from close range.

City were missing key figures in suspended Rodri and injured Kevin de Bruyne, but even allowing for these significant absentees, Pep Guardiola’s side were lacklustre and very disappointing given the talent they still had on the pitch.

Striker Erling Haaland was barely involved and for all of City’s possession there was never any suggestion Arsenal were about to come under sustained pressure.

City and Guardiola now have the international break to lick their wounds. They will bounce back – they are too good not to – but these last two league losses will sting the champions.