Late Arteta strike halters City's title chances

Mikel Arteta managed to all but end Manchester City's title chances as the Spaniard fired home a shot from distance late on to win the game for Arsenal at the Emirates on Easter Day. It sealed a deserved win and the sense of faultering Man City's title chances, especially with the likes of Ex-Gunner, Samir Nasri in their squad, made the victory even sweeter. Arsenal also managed to take advantage of Spurs draw the day before to rise to third in the table once more. To complete City's misery Mario Balotelli was sent off in the dying moments of the game on what was an especially bad day for him as he was lucky to still be on the pitch come half time. Arsenal made one change to the side that lost to QPR last weekend as Yossi Benayoun replaced Ramsey out wide. However Gervinho missed the game altogether through injury as Carl Jenkinson took his place on the substitutes bench. Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri who had moved to Manchester City in the summer from the Gunners, both started.  

Mikel Arteta struck late on to win the game for Arsenal

The first chance of the game came to Arsenal. Sagna's cross was flicked through to Rosicky by Gibbs who unleashed a volley which deflected off Kompany and out for a corner.

From the resulting corner Van Persie had a great chance to give his side the lead. Arteta swung the ball in towards Van Persie who headed the ball towards goal but it was blocked on the line by his own team mate, Thomas Vermaelen.

Arsenal had dominated the early parts of the game but Kompany and Lescott at the heart of the City defence didn't look like conceding.

Manchester City's first chance fell to Mario Balotelli. The corner was played into the middle of the box to find an unmarked Balotelli whose shot was blocked by Gibbs near the goal line and then cleared away by Van Persie.

9 minutes before the break, Mario Balotelli looked to be clean through on goal after Nasri played the ball over the defence but Szczesny raced out of his goal to boot the ball clear.

The score at half time was 0-0.

The first chance of the half fell to the visitors. Samir Nasri clipped the ball into the box and found the head of Aguero whose header forced Szczesny into tipping the ball over the bar.

Yossi Benayoun then did well to create room to pull off a shot as he weaved his way past Zabaleta before hitting a shot from the edge of the box which lacked any real power and was saved by Hart.

Van Persie, as he did in the first half, then came incredibly close to giving Arsenal the lead. Song chipped the ball into the Gunners skipper but his header came back off the post.

It was turning out to be one of those days for Arsenal as again they came close to breaking the deadlock. Sagna managed to get to the byline before cutting the ball back to Walcott. His shot hit the post and then came to Vermaelen who from a few yards out scuffed his shot towards Benayoun who then somehow poked his shot wide from a yard out.

However, four minutes from time, Arsenal finally got their goal. Arteta dispossessed Pizarro before smashing a shot from distance beyond Joe Hart and into the back of the net.

It then went from bad to worse for City as Mario Balotelli slid in late on Sagna and the referee produced the second yellow card for Balotelli and he was sent off.

In the dying moments of the game the Gunners caught City on the break as Santos set Rosicky free and then slid the ball into Ramsey who went through on goal but he sliced his shot miles wide of the target.

The final score ended Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City.

The teams lineups:

Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs(56), Song, Arteta, Rosicky, Benayoun(78), Walcott(86), Van Persie.
Subs: Fabianski, Santos(56), Jenkinson, Djourou, Ramsey(78), Oxlade-Chamberlain(86), Chamakh.

Manchester City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy, Barry, Milner, Nasri(79), Toure(17), Aguero(84), Balotelli.
Subs: Pantilimon, Richards, Kolarov(79), De Jong, Pizarro(17), Dzeko, Tevez(84).

My man of the match: Mikel Arteta

Referee: Martin Atkinson
Attendance: 60,096