Ederson
Ederson

Ederson rubbed salt on the wounds of the Arsenal fans following Manchester City’s 4-1 triumph over the Gunners, by viciously mocking them with ‘cry-baby’ gesture after the final whistle. Arsenal knew that only a win against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night would suffice. But the Gunners were destroyed by Pep Guardiola’s unstoppable force, who were already hot favourites to win the Premier League before their emphatic triumph.

Kevin de Bruyne set the tone for the evening with a low seventh-minute strike that beat Aaron Ramsdale and put the winners ahead. After surviving a VAR check, a John Stones header doubled the lead on the stroke of half-time, before De Bruyne added his second after the interval to end Arsenal’s title hopes. Within the closing five minutes, Rob Holding netted a consolation for the visitors before Erling Haaland made it four.

Ederson
Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson had only little to do against Arsenal as his team demolished them 4-1. Credits: Twitter

Ederson taunts Arsenal fans with fake tears after winning title showdown

It could have been even worse for Mikel Arteta’s team, who owed a series of saves to Ramsdale before Haaland’s final goal. Although Arsenal have been good for the whole of the season, City appear to have peaked at the right time, and it appears that their class and experience will ultimately prove decisive in this year’s title competition.

Guardiola’s team has not lost since February and has hit top speed just when Arsenal has collapsed. In a strong display last night at the Etihad, City made easy work of their championship rivals. Kevin De Bruyne’s two goals sent the champions on their way to triumph. Erling Haaland and John Stones were also present.

As a result, City has moved within two points of league leaders Arsenal, with having two games in hand. While Ramsdale was kept busy in the goal, Ederson, on the other hand, had a routine, and a perhaps boring 90 minutes standing between the sticks at the Etihad. But Ederson made it a point to thoroughly enjoy the situation.

As the game neared its conclusion, the Brazilian turned around to face Arsenal fans who had gathered immediately behind his goal. Ederson then raised his hands to his face, pretending to cry. In response, Ederson poked out his tongue before cracking a cheeky smile as Gooners berated him. The shot-stopper’s actions clearly fired up City fans nearby, with many joining in on the phoney tears.

Nonetheless, it was not all easy going for the Brazilian, who had no answer to Rob Holding’s shot in the 86th minute, which took away a clean-sheet from City. Moreover, after their opening goal, Ederson found himself in a heated dispute with manager Pep Guardiola. The City manager appeared irritated with the Brazilian for a slight blunder he made prior to his team scoring, and the two exchanged words on the sidelines as the rest of the Etihad Stadium celebrated De Bruyne’s opener.

Following the victory, City are currently in pole position to win the title in their pursuit of a famous triple reminiscent of rival Manchester United’s successes in 1999. Wednesday night’s win demonstrated Manchester City’s tenacity, with four goals against the league’s second-best club this season showcasing the class that might power them to a treble. It would be the most significant achievement of Guardiola’s seven-year tenure at City, despite the Spaniard having already won four Premier League titles.