Man City make the most of another Arsenal calamity

Manchester City's Phil Foden celebrates scoring his side's third goal of the game. Picture: Nick Potts/PA Wire.

Maybe Mikel Arteta had a point when he said his side should be known as Unlucky Arsenal. Soon he will have to admit they are not very good either.

They battled their way back into this League Cup quarter-final after conceding an early goal, but then lost comeback striker Gabriel Martinelli to injury and rookie keeper Alex Runarsson conceded a goal that will scar him for life to gift City victory.

Arteta was part of the Manchester City coaching staff in each of the last three seasons they won the League Cup so would have known he was in for a rough ride when he sent out his Arsenal side to try and stop them making it four in a row.

The Spanish coach had won each of his eight domestic cup ties prior to last night — including the FA Cup Final in August — but his side looked beaten last night with just over two minutes played when Gabriel Jesus headed City into the lead. Arsenal had not touched the ball.

And his shell-shocked side, facing a genuine relegation battle when they resume Premier League action against Chelsea on Saturday, continued to grant the freedom of Emirates stadium until they scored an unlikely equaliser about half an hour later through stand-in captain Alex Lacazette.

It was only after Arsenal scored this was a relatively balanced match, even though City always looked the more likely winners and ultimately humiliated the home side.

Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus scores his side's first goal. Picture: Nick Potts

The club's decision makers would not have had this tie against serial winners of this trophy down as a must-win, but they must be increasingly thinking whatever Arteta is doing or saying behind the scenes, it is not working.

The first goal summed up Arsenal's plight. They hardly got close to making a tackle as the outstanding Phil Foden released Oleksandr Zinchenko on the left and his cross was headed in by an unchallenged Gabriel Jesus, even though there were three defenders and a goalkeeper in close attendance.

Arteta, who likes his stats, will be horrified to see that Arsenal hardly had a kick until Martinelli started firing on the left hand side of their attack and ultimately supplied a brilliant cross for Lacazette to score with a decent diving header.

Fight 

Suddenly Arsenal had some fight and intent only for Martinelli to suffer an unfortunate 44th-minute injury as City goalkeeper Zack Steffen clattered him as he made a desperate clearance from the Brazilian forward.

Martinelli last started a match in a March FA Cup tie against Portsmouth and he has been heralded as one of the players who can steer Arsenal back to winning ways in the league. But he hobbled off soon after the start of the second half and Arteta looked dismayed as he sent on Nicolas Pepe in his place.

That setback could hurt Arsenal long-term, but it was Runarsson's error 10 minutes after the break that ultimately cost them a chance of going through to the semi-final.

Riyad Mahrez had cleverly won himself a free-kick on the end of the area, but his free-kick was struck straight at the Icelandic keeper, who saw it fly through his weakly raised fists.

Bad luck for Arteta, indeed, but wholly avoidable had he not sold his best keeper, Emi Martinez, at the start of the season.

Runarsson's error fuelled City to greater heights and knocked the life out of Arsenal.

Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli struggling with an injury during the game. Picture: Nick Potts

Four minutes later and City got their third when Foden, possibly offside but with no VAR to check him, burst clear from a great Fernandinho pass and dinked a great finish over Arsenal's panicking keeper.

Foden provided the assist for City's fourth with a delicious delivery for Aymeric Laporte to score with a close-range free header after 72 minutes.

It was yet another goal of quality from City and Arsenal were just trying to avoid a truly humiliating pre-Christmas thrashing now.

They kept playing until the final whistle and there was the odd half-chance but nothing to make Arteta think he is close to turning his fortune around.

City showed whey they have won this competition in each of the past three years and they will be the side everyone wants to avoid in the semi-final draw.

As for Arsenal, teams will be lining up to play them in their current form – without a domestic win since the start of November.

Arsenal: Runarsson 3, Cedric 4, Gabriel 5, Mustafi 5, Kolasinac 6, Ceballos 6, Elneny 6 (Smith Rowe 66), Maitland-Niles 6, Willock 6, Martinelli 7 (Pepe 49), Lacazette 6 (Balogun 77). Substitutes: Leno, Tierney, Mari, Nketiah.

Man City: Steffen 5, Cancelo 6, Dias 6, Laporte 7, Zinchenko 7, Rodri 7 (Walker 77), Fernandinho 7, Mahrez 6, Silva 6 (Torres 70), Foden 8, Jesus 6 (Aguero 74). Substitutes: Ederson, Stones, Sterling, Gundogan.

Ref: Stuart Attwell 6.