Four things we learnt as Arsenal battled past Man City
Gabriel Martinelli celebrates after scoring Arsenal's winning goal against Man City (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Arsenal maintained their unbeaten start to the Premier League as they earned a battling 1-0 win over Man City. It represented the Gunners' first league win over the current champions since December 2015 (when Arséne Wenger was still at the reigns!).

While it caused jubilation for Arsenal fans, Man City might find themselves sweating a little, as it marks their third defeat in their last four games in all competitions. 

The game itself was not exactly full of glitz and glamour, with the only real chance for either side being the winning goal scored by Gabriel Martinelli in the 86th minute - which was aided on its way by a deflection, courtesy of Nathan Aké.

With Mikel Arteta finally getting one over his mentor, and Arsenal overcoming a side who have eluded them for close to a decade, what did we learn from the game?

  • Officiating remains a seismic problem

After the controversy of last weekend's Premier League action, which saw Liverpool denied a goal because of major human error, you may have hoped to see a weekend of good officiating to keep fans onside. Unfortunately, however, this was not the case in Arsenal's clash with Man City.

Citizens' midfielder Matteo Kovaćič was booked after a studs-up challenge on Martín Ødegaard, which many fans deemed worthy of a red card, but VAR did not even recommend a review of the incident.

The situation was made even worse when, just minutes later, Kovaćič committed a very similar foul against Declan Rice, but referee Michael Oliver failed to see the challenge worthy of a second yellow card.

Fans from all number of clubs recognised these incidents as wrong, and once again called out refereeing body PGMOL for the error. Arsenal will take solace from the fact that they were able to win the game regardless of this decision, but it is an area of football that needs to be addressed and resolved very quickly - for the sake of all teams.

  • Saliba among the best in the world

William Saliba once again proved his worth after yet another defensive masterclass which saw him keep Erling Haaland silent for the entire game - an impressive feat for any player. 

Many Arsenal fans had initially been critical of Arteta's apparent treatment of the French defender - having sent him on three consecutive loans before his first appearance for the Gunners.

However, it is clear now that his development has been expertly managed and it has propelled him to the very top of the game - with many placing him among the best defenders in world football. 

It has also led many to question what could have been, had the 22-year-old not been injured for the end of last season. One thing is for certain though, his partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes has been almost impenetrable at times, and only looks to be improving with each game that goes by.

  • Lack of depth cost Man City

Man City have long been praised, or often even criticised, for their obscene level of squad depth. Pep Guardiola has often had near-£100m players to call upon from the bench, and to step up in the presence of injuries or suspensions.

Despite this, their level of depth seems to have taken something of a decline over the last year or so - especially in midfield. With both Rodrí and Kevin De Bruyne unavailable for this game, he instead called upon Kovaćič and Rico Lewis - with Kalvin Phillips still unable to get a start. 

But unlike in years gone by, there was a notable drop-off in the level of City's deputies, which led to them losing the midfield battle throughout this game. While it is impossible to know with any degree of certainty, it is hard to imagine the same outcome, and performance, had these players been fit for City - which goes to show that depth, or a lack thereof, cost them.

  • Haaland is not a creative outlet

Maybe this one is stating the obvious a little, but it was particularly noticeable during this game. There is absolutely no denying the sheer quality of Erling Haaland - who broke an untold number of records for his goalscoring last season. 

Despite this, his numbers have seen a slight decline this season - despite still averaging a goal per game. For anyone who has watched him play, whether in-the-flesh or on TV, it is very clear that he is not a creative outlet, like some modern strikers. He heavily relies on the creative output of those around him which, in itself, is not a problem.

What causes issues, however, is his fall-off when his teammates are injured or suspended. This has been seen more recently, with the Norwegian having failed to score in his last three games, where Rodri was missing for two games and De Bruyne for all three.

The Belgian midfielder's long-term absence goes a long way to explain the striker's 'struggles' so far this season (only by his own, exceptionally high, standards).

So while he is still regarded among the best players on the planet, his game is far removed from someone like Harry Kane, and is very reliant on the ability, and consistency, of his teammates.