Arsenal Thrash Manchester City 5-1 as Manchester United Suffer Another Home Defeat

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London, England — In a dramatic day of Premier League action, Manchester City suffered a humiliating 5-1 defeat at the hands of Arsenal, while Manchester United’s struggles continued with a 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.

Arsenal delivered a stunning performance at the Emirates Stadium, dismantling defending champions Manchester City in a match that saw the Gunners close the gap on league leaders Liverpool to just six points. The victory was a statement of intent from Mikel Arteta’s side, who have now won five of their last six league matches.

City’s nightmare began early when Martin Odegaard capitalized on a defensive error by Manuel Akanji to put Arsenal ahead inside two minutes. Despite Erling Haaland equalizing in the 55th minute, City’s defense crumbled under relentless pressure. Thomas Partey restored Arsenal’s lead with a deflected shot just two minutes later, before goals from Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz, and 18-year-old Ethan Nwaneri sealed a comprehensive victory.

Lewis-Skelly’s celebration, mimicking Haaland’s signature “Zen” pose, added salt to City’s wounds, while Arsenal’s decision to play Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble” at full-time was seen as a pointed response to Haaland’s earlier taunts during the teams’ previous encounter.

“This is a thing that’s been building up over a certain amount of time,” Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice said. “With the Etihad at the start of the season and everything that went on there, you do have that fire in your stomach.”

City’s defeat leaves them 15 points behind Liverpool, effectively ending their hopes of a fifth consecutive Premier League title. Defender John Stones admitted, “How we played in the last 30 minutes is not acceptable. It’s not us. I’m angry, upset.”

Meanwhile, Manchester United’s dismal season hit another low as they fell to a 2-0 defeat against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford. Jean-Philippe Mateta was the hero for Palace, scoring twice in the second half to condemn United to their seventh home league defeat of the season—a record not seen since the 1893-94 campaign.

The loss was compounded by a serious injury to defender Lisandro Martinez, who was stretchered off in tears with a left knee injury. Manager Ruben Amorim, who had recently criticized his team’s performances, fielded a side without a recognized striker and struggled to create meaningful chances.

“It is difficult to play here because we want to please our fans,” Amorim said. “This season is going to be like that, I said it since the first day.”

United’s woes were further highlighted by the absence of Marcus Rashford, who is reportedly close to joining Aston Villa on loan. The defeat leaves United languishing in 13th place, just two points above the relegation zone.

In other Premier League action, Tottenham Hotspur ended a four-match losing streak with a 2-0 victory over Brentford. An own goal by Vitaly Janelt and a late strike from Pape Sarr secured the much-needed win for Ange Postecoglou’s side, easing pressure on the manager ahead of their crucial League Cup semifinal second leg against Liverpool.

“We needed a big effort again today, a physical effort. We put that in,” Postecoglou said. “Outstanding effort by the players.”

As the Premier League season enters its final stretch, Arsenal’s emphatic win over City has reignited their title hopes, while City’s collapse raises questions about their ability to compete at the highest level. For Manchester United, the focus shifts to survival, with Amorim facing an uphill battle to turn around their fortunes.

Reporting by Steve Douglas; Associated Press writers Alastair Grant and Dave Thompson contributed to this report.