Manchester City V Arsenal: The Gunners hold strong

Manchester City 0, Arsenal 3

Arsenal s midfielder Samir Nasri R and forward Theo Walcott celebrate after the team s third goal Arsenal's midfielder Samir Nasri (R) and forward Theo Walcott celebrate after the team's third goal

THERE has long been a feeling that Arsenal must learn how to rough it if they are to truly challenge for the title. Finally, the message might just have sunk in.

It may not have been a completely fair fight after City centre-back Dedryck Boyata was sent off in just the fifth minute, but there was never any hint of the Gunners being overpowered.

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The players who had been made to look like boys by Chelsea and by Manchester United displayed their manly side and finished off the hosts with a ruthless streak that has been lacking against top opposition.

Samir Nasri, Alex Song and substitute Nicklas Bendtner were the Arsenal assassins in front of goal, but Cesc Fabregas, Alex Song and Denilson were the hitmen who provided the muscle.

City fans may have felt aggrieved that the visitors took their tough tactics too far on occasion. But all Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will care about is that his side finally laid to rest a hoodoo that saw them lose five of their six games against City, Chelsea and Manchester United last season.

As with every Gunners victory there were the pretty passing patterns and the moments of individual skill, but at Eastlands yesterday there was also muscle.

Nigel de Jong got as good as he gave, David Silva was left the odd calling card and Carlos Tevez hobbled off injured after receiving little joy against the Gunners defenders.

While City complained Arsenal were given too many favourable decisions from Mark Clattenburg, there could be few complaints about Boyata’s sending-off.

He was caught out by a Fabregas through-ball and brought down Marouane Chamakh with no other home defender in close proximity.

It was just the early boost the Gunners needed and it sparked a determination among the players that this would finally be their day, even if they had to walk the tightrope between what they could and could not get away with to make sure of it.

Denilson was shown a yellow card for his foul on Tevez and Song unceremoniously stopped Silva in his tracks just three minutes before Arsenal took the lead with a goal that showed there was still beauty to go with the new-found beast.

Nasri burst into the penalty area by playing a brilliantly-timed one-two with Andrey Arshavin and then smashed the ball past Joe Hart.

De Jong and Barry had tried to shake Fabregas out of his stride, with the England international earning a booking. But Spaniard Fabregas exacted some revenge, collecting a yellow card of his own for taking out the Dutch midfielder. Song and Johan Djourou also put their bodies on the line to make sure Arsenal held their lead and their advantage should have been doubled by Fabregas five minutes before the break.

Vincent Kompany mistimed a tackle on Fabregas towards the edge of the area and referee Clattenburg pointed to the spot. But Hart kept City’s hopes alive by diving to his left to save.

The Gunners knew they would have to survive a period of pressure after the restart. But they held firm and came again as City tired.

Lukasz Fabianski tipped a Silva effort wide before City substitute Emmanuel Adebayor headed over.

Arsenal effectively killed the game with 24 minutes left. A Fabregas pass intended for Chamakh was cut out by Wayne Bridge, but the ball fell for Song and he hammered it home.

City boss Roberto Mancini handed Mario Balotelli his comeback after the knee injury he suffered in August, but it was an Arsenal sub who put the finishing touch to the scoreline.

Nasri played a wonderfully-weighted pass and Bendtner opened up his body to slot the ball past Hart.

Hart lay prone as Bendtner and the rest of the Arsenal players celebrated in front of their travelling supporters. Finally a big test had been passed and Wenger was able to speak about his men, rather than defend the boys.

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