Man City 4-1 Arsenal: Why Kevin de Bruyne and Erling Haaland will be key to Treble pursuit

Kevin de Bruyne and Erling Haaland provided the silk and alloy arsenic Manchester City's seemingly unstoppable momentum consumed faltering Arsenal successful their alleged Premier League rubric decider astatine Etihad Stadium.

City's 4-1 triumph was obscurity adjacent a reflection of their superiority, Pep Guardiola's broadside making a mockery of the pre-match billing that this could beryllium a choky matter settled by the finest margins.

The margins were immense successful each areas - and astatine the bosom of it each was the deadly duo of De Bruyne and Haaland.

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Guardiola admitted determination was a deliberate ploy successful this crippled to usage De Bruyne and Haaland to unlock Arsenal. It worked to rather devastating effect.

He said: "We've ever had an unthinkable attacking menace but the transportation betwixt Erling and Kevin is extraordinary. Here we tried to usage it arsenic overmuch arsenic possible.

"Kevin is ever pushing and feels helium tin bash amended but successful this signifier helium moves down Granit Xhaka oregon Thomas Partey and has much freedom. It's truthful unsafe for opponents. The menace with Erling-Kevin, Kevin-Erling is truthful important.

"I deliberation Kevin is the maestro of the assistance whether oregon not Erling is playing and Erling scores goals with oregon without Kevin but unneurotic they are truthful dangerous."

Manchester City's 4-1 triumph implicit Arsenal was the archetypal clip Erling Haaland had assisted Kevin de Bruyne for a Premier League goal

City's victory, however, came with a twist connected the accustomed methods of menace the brace person inflicted connected opponents passim this season.

De Bruyne has traditionally played the relation of supplier for extremity instrumentality Haaland, creating 8 goals successful the Premier League for the 22-year-old Norwegian who has taken the play by storm.

This clip it was Haaland, giving an illustration of however his all-round crippled has improved nether Guardiola's guidance, who assisted De Bruyne successful the league for the archetypal clip this season, doing truthful twice.

Haaland showed cleanable adjacent power to termination a agelong shot instantly connected his near ft to enactment De Bruyne wide for City's archetypal aft 7 minutes, past played the Belgian successful again for the 3rd 9 minutes aft half-time, extinguishing immoderate Arsenal hopes of a comeback.

De Bruyne, who was fixed a pep speech of sorts by the demanding Guardiola a fewer weeks ago, showed erstwhile again that helium operates astatine an elite level successful the mode helium took those 2 goals.

He ignored the temptation to spell for powerfulness successful some instances, placing his archetypal beyond the outstretched near limb of Aaron Ramsdale with his close ft past showing glorious consciousness and method to spot his 2nd betwixt the legs of defender Rob Holding into the acold corner.

Erling Haaland scored his 33rd Premier League extremity of the season, the astir immoderate subordinate has scored successful a 38-game play successful the Premier League.

Only Ramsdale stood betwixt City and an adjacent bigger rout, denying Haaland 4 times earlier the striker, literally, fto his hairsbreadth down and scored his 49th extremity of this landmark play with seconds left.

Haaland was not rather astatine his ruthless champion successful beforehand of extremity but determination were different qualities to admire, qualities helium has acquired since the commencement of the season, fashioned by Guardiola and taken connected committee by a subordinate with astir frightening country for improvement.

The striker was relentless, worked tirelessly and showed a mastery of build-up play and quality to bring others into the crippled that was a revelation.

De Bruyne and Haaland acceptable the code from the archetypal whistle, the opening extremity the effect of a concern that has looked truthful earthy from time 1 of the Premier League season.

Guardiola was understandably delighted astatine a triumph that present puts the rubric destiny successful their ain hands. This was an ominous ngo connection against the broadside that inactive leads the Premier League but who volition beryllium unseated if City triumph astatine Fulham connected Sunday.

Haaland has provided a stunning cutting borderline to this City side, making them adjacent much aggravated and nonstop connected apical of the head-spinning passing carousel that is Guardiola's banal successful commercialized and near Arsenal truthful helpless here.

Guardiola believes City's adjacent 3 league games, distant to Fulham past astatine location to West Ham United and Leeds United, whitethorn beryllium pivotal successful the rubric race.

And City besides person that Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid and the derby FA Cup last against Manchester United connected their breathtaking agenda.

There whitethorn beryllium uncertainties to travel - but 1 certainty is that De Bruyne and Haaland volition beryllium the cardinal men successful their Treble quest.

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