Manchester City on Tuesday increased the pressure on Mikel Arteta as the EFL Cup holders powered into the semi-finals with a 4-1 demolition of troubled Arsenal.
City ensured that it would be a miserable Christmas for beleaguered Arsenal boss Arteta by condemning his side to a fourth defeat in their past six games in all competitions.
Gabriel Jesus took just three minutes to put City ahead at the Emirates Stadium and although Alexandre Lacazette equalized, it was another night of torture for Arteta.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Arsenal reserve goalkeeper Alex Runarsson made a horrendous mistake when he allowed Riyad Mahrez’s free-kick to squirm into the net.
Phil Foden and Aymeric Laporte piled on the pain for Arsenal with more goals to seal the rout.
“It’s a hard one to take, considering how the game went. This level of opponent — when you give the goals away, it makes the game impossible,” Arteta said. “A lot of strange things are happening in every game and that makes things really difficult. Runarsson has not played a lot of games for us. We all make mistakes and have to support him.”
Languishing 15th in the Premier League after losing five of their past seven games — their worst start since the 1974-1975 season — Arsenal are in crisis.
Amid talk of dressing room unrest, Arteta, who worked as Pep Guardiola’s City assistant before joining Arsenal 12 months ago, is in danger of being sacked if Arsenal’s wretched run continues into the new year.
“We have to turn it around,” Arteta said. “If we don’t, we are in big trouble. So that is the moment which is going to decide our season. On the basis of what we have shown tonight against difficult opponents, I have fighters in my team.”
Guardiola defended Arteta, saying: “He is an incredible manager. I know his proposals and what he will do. Not even a little run of bad results is going to change my opinion.”
Arteta made eight changes from their defeat on Saturday last week at Everton, yet City made seven switches of their own and still went ahead in the blink of an eye.
Jesus, without a goal in his previous seven games, started the move wide on the left when he fed Foden and made an astute run into the six-yard box.
Oleksandr Zinchenko’s cross reached Jesus and, aided by Runarsson’s missed punch, the Brazilian netted with a clinical header at the near post, while the Gunners’ defense stood and watched.
Arsenal equalized against the run of play in the 31st minute, as Gabriel Martinelli’s cross from the byline found Lacazette, who threw himself forward to guide his header into the roof of the net.
City were gifted the lead again in the 54th minute, when Runarsson made a complete hash of dealing with Mahrez’s free-kick, the Iceland international allowing a shot that was straight at him to slip through his gloves like a bar of soap.
With no video assistant referee in the EFL Cup, Foden’s run from a slightly offside position went unchecked and he delivered the knockout blow with a cool flick over Runarsson.
Foden turned provider in the 73rd minute with a teasing cross that was headed in by Laporte.
City trail eight points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, but they are unbeaten in their past nine games in all competitions — conceding just two goals in that period.
Guardiola’s men have won the EFL Cup for the past three seasons and are bidding to become the first team to win it four consecutive years, since Liverpool won it from 1980-1981 to 1983-1984.
Brentford, fourth in the Championship, enjoyed a shock 1-0 win against Premier League side Newcastle United thanks to Josh Dasilva’s 66th-minute goal in west London.
Thomas Frank’s team had already knocked out West Bromwich Albion, Southampton and Fulham en route to the quarter-finals. Their fourth Premier League scalp took them into their first ever major domestic cup semi-final.
“I’m bitterly disappointed and very frustrated,” Newcastle manager Steve Bruce said.
The pressure was already on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso before their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League raised further questions about his future. Arsenal remain perfect in this season’s competition and three points clear at the top of the standings after a 3-0 win against Club Brugge, while defending champions Paris Saint-Germain were held 0-0 at Athletic Bilbao. The clash between Madrid and City was the standout game of the round amid reports this week that Alonso had lost control of the locker room. Speculation over his position is likely to intensify after the latest
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