It was a rip-roaring affair as Manchester City ran out 6-3 winners over Arsenal in a nine goal thriller at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The result sees City maintain their 100 per cent win record at home as they moved up to second on the English Premier League table, three points behind leaders Arsenal.
City dominated the early exchanges, but weren’t really creating any clear-cut chances on goal in the first ten minutes.
However, just as Arsenal appeared to be finding their feet in the game the home side took the lead in the 14th minute through none other than Sergio Aguero.
The Argentine international produced an emphatic volley at the back post that burst the back of the net from five-yards out after a corner-kick was flicked on at the front post by Martin Demichelis, 1-0.
That goal was Aguero’s 12th in his last 11 league appearances.
The confidence in the City team swelled and they created another chance on goal in the 21st minute as Vincent Kompany slipped Alvaro Negredo through on goal, but he fired his shot just wide from 12-yards out under pressure from a defender.
Seven minutes later and Yaya Toure tried his luck from 22-yards out, but he saw his powerful volley sail inches over the crossbar.
Toure turned culprit in the 31st minute as he lost the ball in the middle of the park and allowed Arsenal to mount an attack that would lead to their equaliser.
Jack Wilshere stole the ball off Toure and played Mesut Ozil down the left flank. The German international then cut the ball back for Theo Walcott who saw his 20-yard shot deflected into the back of the net off the head of Demichelis, 1-1.
Three minutes later and Negredo should have restored City’s lead, but he shot wide of goal from 14-yards out with just the keeper to beat after David Silva played him through on goal.
Negredo, though, made no such mistake in the 39th minute as he turned home a swift counter-attacking move from only a couple yards out.
Toure played a delightful ball with the outside of his right boot to Pablo Zabaleto down the right flank and he proceeded to drive a low ball across the face of goal which Negredo tucked home, 2-0.
Arsenal suffered a further setback in the 42nd minute as Laurent Koscielny left the field injured and was replaced by Thomas Vermaelen.
The half ended 2-1 in favour of City.
Five minutes after the break City confirmed their dominance in the match as an expert finish from Fernandinho into the top right-hand corner from 25-yards out saw them go 3-1 up.
Arsenal, though, were not content to sit back and tried to fight their way back into the match.
Consequently, Walcott found his second of the afternoon in the 63rd minute with a beautiful finish, curling the ball past the keeper into the top right-hand corner of the net from 14-yards out, 3-2.
Three minutes later, however, and City killed Arsenal’s comeback as David Silva restored their two goal lead, tucking home a low right-wing cross from Jesus Navas with a tidy finish from six-yards out, 4-2.
The icing on the cake for City was Fernandino’s second goal in the 88th minute as he poked the ball past the keeper in a one-on-one situation, 5-2.
Per Mertesacker found a consolation goal in injury time for Arsenal, heading home a right win cross, 5-3.
The goal didn’t count for much as Yaya Toure restored City’s three goal lead with a penalty-kick goal in the dying seconds of the match, 6-3.
