'Very painful' loss for Arsenal

LONDON • Ever the perfectionist, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes his side can still improve after they rubbed salt into Arsenal wounds with a 5-0 home thrashing yesterday to inflict the Gunners' worst start to a Premier League season since 1954.

Mikel Arteta's men have lost their first three league games and are yet to even score a goal, with the pressure rising on the former City assistant manager's job.

According to Opta statistics, Arsenal are only the second team in Premier League history to lose their first three matches in a season and have a goal difference of minus nine, after Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2003-04, who went on to finish bottom of the table.

Arteta's experimental selection and switch to a back three failed to halt a slick City attack that suggested they are more than capable of retaining their Premier League title this season, despite missing out on signing strikers Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo.

"We found the goals without deserving it. We had the problems in the first minutes. We still had the feeling many things have to improve," said Guardiola.

"Our process in the build-up against man-to-man wasn't good. We found the goals and, after the sending-off, the game was completely another one. Difficult for the opponent and easier for us.

"The most important thing is that we played with respect to the opponent and not do silly things with the ball. We are still in the process of improving. Like I said to the players after the game, it was nice winning but we have to be better."

Man City are the third team in Premier League history to score 10 or more goals in their first two home matches in a season, after Arsenal in 2010-11 (10) and Man United in 2011-12 (11).

Ilkay Gundogan opened the floodgates, before Ferran Torres pounced on shocking Arsenal defending to double City's lead inside 12 minutes.

Arsenal's task was made even harder when Granit Xhaka needlessly lunged at Joao Cancelo and was shown a straight red card.

Gabriel Jesus made it 3-0 before half-time, while Rodrigo and Torres, with his second of the afternoon, rounded off the scoring.

City's week had been dominated by transfer speculation as Kane confirmed he will be remaining at Tottenham this season, with Spurs unwilling to sell the England captain. Ronaldo was then rumoured to be making a sensational move to the Etihad but opted instead to return to Manchester United.

Yet, even without the injured Kevin de Bruyne and with Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez on the bench, City showed their wealth of attacking options.

Arteta left the comfort of working alongside Guardiola for his first managerial job just under two years ago, but is increasingly in the firing line with Arsenal falling further behind the Premier League elite. He has reportedly been given until the October international break, in just over a month, to revive Arsenal's fortunes after spending over £130 million (S$240 million) in the transfer window.

Martin Odegaard was the only new signing named in Arteta's starting line-up, with Aaron Ramsdale, Nuno Tavares and Albert Sambi Lokonga on the bench and £50 million centre-back Ben White sidelined by coronavirus.

Arteta called the defeat "very painful", adding: "I'm sorry we can't get the results right now, we have to fix it.

"For me, it is pride and more willingness to change the situation. A lot happened in the last three weeks, we are in a difficult position.

"The international break will do us some good to recover some of the big players we are missing at the moment and hopefully we come back we are in a better place."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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RESULTS

Man City 5 Arsenal 0

West Ham 2 Palace 2

Norwich 1 Leicester 2

Villa 1 Brentford 1

Newcastle 2 Southampton 2

Brighton 0 Everton 2

Liverpool v Chelsea

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Tottenham v Watford

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Burnley v Leeds

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Wolves v Man United

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