MATCH REPORT AND PLAYER RATINGS - MANCHESTER CITY 4-1 ARSENAL

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Manchester City took a huge step towards retaining the Premier League title with a remarkable 4-1 over title challengers Arsenal, in a game where the Blues could've easily won by a larger margin.

City took the lead early on, after a long ball up to Erling Haaland was controlled well by the Norwegian, who turned and slid it through to the rampaging Kevin de Bruyne, who drove towards goal before firing the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the box, from a difficult angle.

City controlled the rest of the half, creating numerous chances, as both De Bruyne and Haaland could've each increased the scoreline. Haaland, in particular, had three chances that he would almost always stick away, so the nerves in the stands were understandable, as that number of chances missed against quality opposition such as Arsenal doesn't often go unpunished.

In this case however, City were able to double their lead on the stroke of halftime, after a fantastic back post header from John Stones, which was initially ruled out for offside, was eventually allowed by VAR, as Ben White at the back post played him just onside.

Arsenal improved immediately after the break, with a spell of possession, before City struck them on the break. It was a linkup between Haaland and De Bruyne again, as the former slipped a through ball for the latter, allowing the Belgian midfielder to take the ball in his stride and slot it through the legs of Rob Holding and into the back of the net. This came just minutes after Haaland missed his biggest opportunity of the night, failing to beat keeper Aaron Ramsdale in a 1 vs 1 opportunity after he burned past the defenders.

The Poznan broke out around the Etihad Stadium at this point, and there was no going back for an Arsenal side that looked dejected and demotivated as the game slipped away from them. They eventually got one back from after an excellent strike from Rob Holding from the edge of the area, but the game was long gone by that point.

By some kind of miracle, Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, who had already been booked for borderline assault on Jack Grealish, didn't get sent off for rugby tackling Erling Haaland off the ball. This unleashed Haaland's "beast mode," who, with his long golden locks flowing behind him, looking very much like Thor, the Norse God of Thunder, finally tucked away his final chance of the game to put the seal on a remarkable game for the Blues.

This game was interesting tactically, as Guardiola chose to build up with a "4-2" shape, as opposed to a "3-2" shape, with a back 3 with Stones dropping into midfield. The 52 year old Catalan mentioned in his pre match build up that the extra man might not be needed in this game, and he completely caught Mikel Arteta cold with his tactical decision.

He also opted to be play with a double pivot of Ilkay Gundogan and Rodri, which gave De Bruyne the space and freedom to buzz around off Haaland and contribute mainly to the attacking game. A 4-2-3-1 system is something we could see more often, especially if Guardiola wants to start playing Kyle Walker more often, as City face arguably the best left winger in the world in Vinicius Jr in just a few weeks times.

City now find themselves just 2 points behind league leaders Arsenal, with two games in hand. City's two toughest remaining fixtures, Brighton away and Brentford away, come in the final two games of the season, meaning if Arsenal drop any further points, with Newcastle United away and Brighton at home on the agenda, then City could go into those games having already secured the Premier League title.

This would be hugely important as they chase an historic treble, as City would have the opportunity to rest and rotate players before the FA Cup final against Manchester United, and a potential Champions League final in Istanbul the week after that.

Here are the player ratings after City's superb Premier League performance:

Ederson - 6.5/10 - Didn't have very much to do in general, there was very little he could've done about Arsenal's goal, it was a well struck effort. Extremely unlucky not to get an assist, after playing the long ball up to Haaland for his 1 vs 1 opportunity.

Walker - 8.5/10 - Superb performance from City's English right back. Walker offered pace and physicality, playing as a traditional full back, and kept Gabriel Martinelli quiet all evening. It'll be extremely harsh on whichever one of he, Manuel Akanji or Nathan Ake is left out of the first leg tie against Real Madrid, presuming the latter is fit.

Stones - 8.5/10 - A strong performance from Stones, winning the vast majority of aerial and ground duels against his former teammate Gabriel Jesus. Left his mark on the game with a fantastic looping header into the back of the net.

Dias - 7.5/10 - Looked solid for the most part, defending a 1 vs 1 situation with Bukayo Saka extremely well. The only negatives were a few misplaced long passes with his left foot, and the potential for a red card when he appeared to aim a kick at Ben White when he was lying on the floor.

Akanji - 8.5/10 - Sublime performance for Manuel Akanji, keeping the threat posed by Saka to an absolute minimum. Playing in a position in which he's never played before in a sky blue shirt, he looked dominant both aerially and on the ground. If it weren't for Erling Haaland, he'd be City's signing of the season without a doubt, with £15 million appearing to be a bargain for this Swiss defender.

Rodri - 8.5/10 - Immense in the centre of the park, winning the ball back to prevent an Arsenal counter attack multiple times, and showing a masterclass in keeping possession when City had the ball. Proved once and for all why he's the best defensive midfielder in the league, if not the world.

Gundogan - 7.5/10 - Had a reasonably quiet game by his standards, as his attacking freedom was somewhat limited by City's system. He looked comfortable in possession, and showed once again that he'll be sorely missed if he decides to leave Manchester in the summer.

Bernardo - 8/10 - Tenacious and aggressive once again, offering a high quality of pressing and energy. Stuck up for his teammates in numerous scuffles as well, which is something every City fan loves to see.

De Bruyne - 10/10 - Wow. The second 10/10 ever given by The 2 Silvas Blog and it couldn't be more richly deserved. De Bruyne was immense, piercing through the heart of the Arsenal team with his relentless running, pressing and directness. His two goals looked absolutely effortless, the first one being peak Yaya Toure, and the second peak Sergio Aguero, each with a touch of Kevin de Bruyne magic. His assist wasn't half bad either. What a performance.

Grealish - 7.5/10 - Contributed greatly to the defensive effort, and showed a few touches of absolute magic under tight pressure. Like Bernardo, he showed the passion and loyalty in protecting his players that is adored very much by the fanbase.

Haaland - 9.5/10 - One of his best overall games for City. Haaland's linkup play was practically flawless, and he made the most of the space he was given by contributing with two assists and a goal.

Substitutes:

Mahrez - 6.5/10 - Fairly quiet after coming on, although he showed a few touches of quality, and tracked former City player Oleksandr Zinchenko well.

Alvarez - 6.5/10 - Pressed very well, and provided an attacking outlet for City. Dropped into midfield to have a few quality touches to help keep possession.

Foden - 7/10 - Very much the same as Julian Alvarez, but chipped in with the assist for Haaland's goal. If City can get him back firing, then he'll provide a selection headache for Guardiola, in the final few weeks of the season.