Pep Guardiola: 'Quality' of Man City made the difference against Arsenal

Haaland on target in 3-1 win that sees Manchester City go ahead of Gunners on goal difference at Premier League summit

Erling Haaland celebrates scoring Manchester City's third goal in their 3-1 Premier League victory over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on February 15, 2023. PA

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta clashes with Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne. Reuters

City attacker Erling Haaland is fouled by Arsenal's Gabriel and wins a penalty before it is overturned for offside after a VAR check. PA

Jack Grealish scores City's second goal. Getty

Jack Grealish celebrates scoring Manchester City's second goal. PA

Arsenal's Bukayo Saka scores from the spot. PA

Bukayo Saka celebrates after scoring for Arsenal. Getty

Arsenal attacker Eddie Nketiah heads a chance wide in the first-half. EPA

Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne, right, celebrates after scoring. AFP

Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu shoots over in the first-half. Getty

City manager Pep Guardiola. Getty

Pep Guardiola said the quality of his Manchester City players proved the difference in Thursday's top-of-the-table clash against Arsenal that saw City leapfrog the Gunners at the Premier League summit.

Kevin de Bruyne's opener was cancelled out by a Bukayo Saka penalty before Jack Grealish and a late Erling Haaland strike wrapped up a 3-1 win for City at the Emirates Stadium.

City move ahead of long-time leaders Arsenal on goal difference, but Guardiola warned that the league is not over yet.

“The game was half-half,” Guardiola said. “It’s not easy to play against them, the build up they have is really good.

“We were in the game and at the end, the quality of the players made the difference.”

Arsenal, who have been top of the table since the third week of the season, have now lost three of their past four matches in all competitions, but do have a game in hand on their rivals.

For Guardiola, despite moving to the top of the table, he warned that there was a lot more of the season remaining.

He added: “There are still many games to play, the Champions League is coming, the Europa League is coming, so – but importantly is the fact we could have come here a few weeks ago eight or nine points behind and losing here will be almost over.

“Now for the fact that they dropped points, we came here for the chance to win the game and now we are there [at the top of the league].

“So far they’ve got better results than us – this is the reality.”

Arsenal v Man City ratings

Haaland applied the finishing touch to the scoreline for his 32nd goal of the campaign and his 26th in the league since his move from Borussia Dortmund last summer.

"I'm so happy," Haaland told Amazon Prime. "We needed this one and now we need to start going on a run because that's what Man City do."

Haaland is in his debut season in the Premier League, but many of his teammates have been part of City's four title-winning campaigns in the past five years and the Norwegian striker said that winning mentality was on display in North London.

"City, we – not me but all the boys and club here – are the champions so you can say so yes," added Haaland on whether Guardiola's men had delivered the performance of champions.

"They [Arsenal] have been the best team this season so to come on their place and play against them is not easy and we got three important points."

Arsenal had held an eight-point lead but it had been eroded as City found their form and they showed their quality again at the Emirates.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admitted his players were feeling downcast after the defeat and urged his side to be more ruthless going forward.

“We are all feeling down, especially because they knew we could do much better today to get a very different result and we just give them the game,” the Arsenal boss said.

“We have to pick the points because the performances are there for sure. What we’ve done today against this team, believe me that wasn’t the game that they wanted to play.

“But we wanted the points and we didn’t get them and at the end the games are decided in the boxes and we have given too much away today. We weren’t ruthless enough to convert our chances.

“That’s what we have to improve on.”