Poor Gunners Sunk By City

Which teams will be going in to the weekend smiling? Predict the results in Midweek 10 and you could have something to smile about too!

Crisis club Arsenal found no cheer at chilly Manchester City at the end of a troubled week.

The Gunners were lucky not to lose by a heavier margin than 3-0 at Eastlands where they looked a team in disarray as they crashed to a fifth Premier League defeat of the season.

ARSENE WENGER

Arsenal were without nine senior players including William Gallas, stripped of the captaincy after an outburst earlier in the week, the suspended Cesc Fabregas and injured Emmanuel Adebayor and Theo Walcott.

While it was an afternoon to forget for Arsenal, it was one to remember for City who produced one of their best displays of the campaign.

After winning only once in their previous eight league games to slip to one point from the relegation places, this was a morale-boosting victory which eased the pressure on manager Mark Hughes.

It was a measure of how disappointing the opening was that the biggest cheer came when Hughes sent substitute Elano to the touchline to warm up midway through the first half.

City had only a couple of decent chances, Robinho's angled shot bringing keeper Manuel Almunia to his knees while Benjani slid in to make contact with a Darius Vassell cross only to put his effort narrowly wide.

Arsenal, for all their slick passing moves, did not create a chance until the 35th minute when Samir Nasri's free-kick was fumbled by keeper Joe Hart while Alexandre Song fired the rebound wide.

Then, in first-half stoppage time came the breakthrough for City, as Stephen Ireland broke through the visiting defence after Mikael Silvestre and Gael Clichy had collided to enable the midfield player to score with ease.

Arsenal made a lively start to the second half, but it was City who doubled their advantage in the 56th minute when Shaun Wright-Phillips played an inch-perfect pass to release Robinho who lobbed Almunia from the edge of the penalty area for his ninth goal of the season.

Robinho was denied a second goal by the referee's assistant who flagged for offside after he had tapped in the ball from almost on the goal-line after Almunia had fumbled Ireland's shot.

Robinho had two further great chances to complete a second hat-trick for City but he was denied by Almunia and then a goal-line clearance from Johan Djourou.

Arsenal's misery was completed when they conceded a third goal in stoppage time. After Djourou has tripped substitute Daniel Sturridge, the young City striker got up to score from the spot himself.

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes said: "I think it is only the second time in the Premier League we have been able to beat Arsenal, so it is a significant victory for us.

"We were good value for the win as well. We had a game plan and wanted to break up the rhythm of their play.

"We did not want them to dictate how the game was going to shape up. The players stuck to their task and caused them problems.

"It was a fantastic finish by Robinho. When he is one against one with the goalkeeper you expect him to score.

"He will always demand the ball in key areas of the field and it was a great performance by him. Considering he only turned up from training yesterday, he was exceptional."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said of William Gallas: "Of course he has a future at the club.

"I will not speak about William Gallas in a post-match interview. He is a player who did not play today, so what can he do? Nothing.

"Why should we not talk about Cesc Fabregas and the other nine players who are not here. We can go on until midnight and I will give the same answer to the same question."

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