Source: Team_Talk
Gunners too good for 10-man City
Goals from Samir Nasri, Alex Song and Nicklas Bendtner gave Arsenal a 3-0 win at Manchester City, who had to play for 85 minutes with 10 men.[LNB] City had been looking to reclaim second place in the Premier League on Sunday but hopes of a fifth successive win were all but dashed with the early sending off of Dedryck Boyata at Eastlands.[LNB]Nasri put the Gunners ahead 20 minutes into a fiery contest and although Joe Hart kept City in contention with a penalty save from Cesc Fabregas, Song and Bendtner finished them off.[LNB]Victory lifted Arsenal back into the top four, above City on goal difference, and contradicted recent criticism of the Londoners' record against their perceived title rivals.[LNB]The momentum all appeared to be with City prior to the match, which was preceded by a memorial service and minute's applause for their late manager Malcolm Allison.[LNB]Carlos Tevez was back to lead the City line while Emmanuel Adebayor, despite a midweek hat-trick, was left on the bench against his former club.[LNB]And the hosts appeared in a rush to impress as Boyata, starting ahead of Joleon Lescott, released Tevez with a superb ball down the right after one minute.[LNB]Tevez raced beyond the defence and into the area but David Silva failed to make firm contact with his ball into the middle and Lukasz Fabianski saved his scuffed shot.[LNB]Tevez then set Micah Richards free down the right but this time Bacary Sagna slid in to deal with the cross.[LNB]Yet no sooner had City started to look dominant than Boyata, as the last man, was sent off for bringing down Marouane Chamakh as he raced onto a Fabregas ball.[LNB]Mark Clattenburg took time to consider his verdict but showed a straight red card.[LNB]After that it became clear Clattenburg was in for a tough afternoon as the tackles started to fly in.[LNB]He booked Denilson for a late challenge on Tevez but showed restraint after Nigel de Jong felled Fabregas.[LNB]Gareth Barry was shown a yellow card for fouling the Spaniard but Song escaped such punishment for a bad tackle on Silva.[LNB]In terms of chances, City had the next when Tevez mishit a shot at Fabianski but Johan Djourou then headed over from a Sagna cross.[LNB]The opening goal came after 20 minutes as Nasri played a one-two with Andrey Arshavin on the edge of the box and clipped the ball over Joe Hart.[LNB]Fabregas, still being given close attention by City, was booked himself after tangling with De Jong.[LNB]City responded by again attacking down the right as James Milner played Richards through.[LNB]Arsenal struggled to get back but were relieved as Richards checked back onto his left foot and screwed his shot wide.[LNB]Song and Djourou also went into Clattenburg's notebook before the break after challenges on Silva and Tevez respectively.[LNB]The game refused to settle down and Clattenburg was called upon again as Vincent Kompany recklessly lunged in on Fabregas just inside the area.[LNB]A penalty was the obvious outcome but Hart kept City in the game with a brilliant save from Fabregas' spot-kick.[LNB]Fabregas had another opportunity early in the second half after combining well with Chamakh and Nasri but his first-time shot was weak and easily saved by Hart.[LNB]City boss Roberto Mancini decided to make a bold change after 52 minutes, gambling on the determination of Adebayor to impress and removing usual talisman Tevez.[LNB]An intricate move saw Milner feed Silva inside the box and the Spaniard's curving right-foot shot was brilliantly tipped wide by Fabianski.[LNB]Adebayor had a chance from the resulting corner but Fabianski's presence forced him to direct his header over.[LNB]Arshavin then drilled a shot straight at Hart from 20 yards as Arsenal continued to push.[LNB]Song finished City off in the 66th minute when he grabbed an opportunistic second for the visitors.[LNB]Wayne Bridge had blocked a Fabregas pass intended for Chamakh but the ball ran loose and Song, unchallenged, pounced to smash it into the top corner.[LNB]Adebayor raised City fans' spirits when he forced a fine save from Fabianski with a firm header but a flag had already been raised for offside.[LNB]There was a stoppage 15 minutes from time when an object appeared to be thrown from the crowd as Arsenal prepared to take a corner.[LNB]Substitute Bendtner put the result beyond any doubt five minutes from time when he raced clear and finished from a tight angle.[LNB]Fit-again £23million signing Mario Balotelli went close to a late consolation when he forced Fabianksi to tip over.
