On April 26, Manchester City secured a big 4-1 victory over rival Arsenal. The two shots of “unstoppable” Kevin De Bryune, a header from John Stones, and a stunning goal by Haaland in the extra time added to the 2 times that City have beaten Arsenal this season.
De Bruyne attributed the success to a pre-match tactical plan that helped his squad to dominate. He explained that Arsenal's pressing style makes it difficult to play from the back, so City tried a few things in training, such as playing longer passes. In the first half, the Citizens created some chances by playing deeper and running off Haaland when he kept the ball.
"The way that Arsenal press the opposition is top, it's class," he told Peacock. "It's almost impossible to play from the back, especially when its a goal kick - it's like a set piece, and we know we had to play longer today and we tried a couple of things in training.
Guardiola also made a tactical change by having Ilkay Gundogan as a double six, providing more control in midfield. The Belgian midfielder had to choose his moments to press, depending on whether Xhaka or Partey was pressing. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted that City's fast start had made it difficult for his team, but he acknowledged that they needed to look at what they could have done better.
The Sky Blues now have a chance to go top of the table with a win against Fulham on Sunday, while Arsenal play Chelsea two days later.