6.30pm Arsenal news LIVE: Man City defeat reaction, Arteta and Nuno to hold manager talks, Demiral transfer fight – The Sun
IT was more disappointment for Freddie Ljungberg and Arsenal as Man City cruised to victory at the Emirates.
A Kevin De Bruyne double and Raheem Sterling's tap-in gave the champions a resounding 3-0 win – and the Gunners barely laid a glove on the visitors.
Other candidates for the vacant manager job are set to be interviewed this week – including City coach Mikel Arteta and Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo.
Follow all the latest from the Emirates below…
MISERABLE Arsenal were ripped apart by rampant Manchester City as Freddie Ljungberg’s managerial ambitions suffered a potentially terminal setback.
The interim Gunners boss refused to even acknowledge Mesut Ozil’s second-half tantrum as his team were left tormented by the brilliance of Kevin De Bruyne.
They could have been ahead after just 30 seconds when Gabriel Martinelli forced his way past two City defenders to bring a sharp save from Ederson.
Instead they were behind after 89 seconds as a direct result of Nicolas Pepe allowing Fernandino to play Gabriel Jesus in behind Calum Chambers in the left-hand channel.
Jesus’ low pull back was crying out for an emphatic finish and De Bruyne did not disappoint with a thunderous rising shot which beat Bernd Leno all ends up.
It was the worst possible start for an Arsenal team suffering a crisis of confidence after winning just one of their previous 11 games.
Yet they failed to learn their lessons from City’s opening goal and were undone again in painfully similar fashion after 15 minutes.
This time it was De Bruyne who turned creator, once again exposing Chambers’ lack of pace to roll the ball across the face of goal to leave Raheem Sterling with a straightforward tap-in at the back post.
It was all too much for the fuming Emirates supporters as the Champions emphasised the gulf in class between the teams with a slick passing game which left Arsenal chasing shadows.
But fate had not finished with Ljungberg yet and after 38 minutes Sead Kolasinac limped off after being brought down by Rodri and turning his right ankle.
Having just written Kieran Tierney off a dislocated shoulder, Kolasinac’s departure left Ljungberg scrambling around his bench to find someone to fill in at emergency left-back.
He eventually opted for winger Bukayo Saka, but before the teenager could even get onto the pitch De Bruyne had scored again, steering an exquisite left foot shot inside the far post from the edge of the area.
And the magnificent Belgian was only denied a stunning first-half hat-trick by Leno’s fingertip save to push his 43rd minute effort against the post.
Arsenal, once again booed off at half-time, simply had no answer to the onslaught and Ozil reacted furiously to being replaced by Emile Smith Rowe in the 58th minute.
The angry German ripped off his woolly mittens and booted them angrily into the crowd. It was the most animated he had been all afternoon.
ARSENAL'S defensive crisis hit rock bottom after Sead Kolasinac became their THIRD full back to be injured in the last week.
And it means struggling stand-in boss Freddie Ljungberg could be forced to turn to teenager Zech Medley after winger Bukayo Saka had to replace Kolasinac.
Left back Kolasinac was forced off after 38 minutes of the Gunners' clash against Man City at the Emirates.
The Bosnian now joins Kieran Tierney and Hector Bellerin on the sidelines.
City raced into a 3-0 lead at half-time after two goals from Kevin De Bruyne and another from Raheem Sterling piled more misery on Ljungberg.
And it looks like the temporary boss could be forced to go down into his Under-23s to find a suitable replacement.
Medley, 19, arrived from Chelsea midway through the 2016-17 season.
And the Gunners' official website says he “has shown his quality as a full back and is capable of driving forward into the midfield” – despite mainly being used as a centre-back.
Medley, who is from Greenwich in Greater London, was an unused sub in Arsenal's Europa League 2-2 draw against Standard Liege earlier this week.
The 6ft 5in defender has started three games for Arsenal in the Premier League 2 this season and made one appearance from the bench, scoring in the 3-1 win over Blackburn last week.
And prior to that he was captain of the Under-18s where he won praise for his “commanding performances”.
Medley made his senior debut for Arsenal in November 2018 when he came on as a sub for Rob Holding in the Europa League clash against Vorska Poltava.
ARSENAL 0-2 MAN CITY – LATEST
Well, Arsenal have made an absolutely terrible start against Man City.
Kevin de Bruyne powered home inside the first two minutes for the opener.
And Raheem Sterling made it 2-0 on the 15-minute mark, with the Belgian getting the assist.
THE GUNNERS will be looking to end a run of five defeats in a row against Man City.
Victory at the Emirates would see them jump up just one place to eighth, after Tottenham beat Wolves and Man Utd equalised against Everton.
Yet, it would be just their sixth win of the season in the Premier League and second in nine matches.
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