Staff Reporter.
Manchester City climbed to the top of the Premier League by handing West Brom a 5-0 drubbing.
No team in Europe’s top five divisions has conceded as many goals at home as Sam Allardyce’s Albion and they were ruthlessly exposed again by a brilliant attacking display.
For the second week running City were the beneficiaries of a contentious offside call but there can be no doubt that they would have routed the hosts regardless.
Ilkay Gundogan continued his inspired run in front of goal with two excellent strikes, Joao Cancelo scored while an offside flag was raised and several players seemed to stop, and Riyad Mahrez powered in a fourth before the break.
Raheem Sterling got in on the act in the second half as City ended a day on top of the table for the first time this season.
Defeat left 19th-placed West Brom six points adrift of safety going into a massive game against Fulham on Saturday.
Meanwhile Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta dedicated his side’s Premier League win over Southampton to absent captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who missed the game for personal reasons.
The Gunners made light of their star striker’s absence as they continued their excellent run of league form by coming from behind to beat the Saints in an eventful game.
After Alexandre Lacazette missed a glorious chance to give the Gunners a first-minute lead, Stuart Armstrong put Southampton ahead from a wonderful delivery by captain James Ward-Prowse.
But the lead lasted just five minutes, as Nicolas Pepe equalised with a neat finish, before both sides created clear chances.
Former Saints defender Cedric Soares volleyed narrowly wide at one end while Bernd Leno produced a flying save to keep out a header by Che Adams at the other.
England winger Bukayo Saka put the Gunners ahead after going past keeper Alex McCarthy, who had come rushing out of his penalty area, before the 19-year-old picked out Lacazette to seal the points, the Frenchman appearing to send a message of support to Aubameyang in the process.
“I loved how they support each other and how they protect each other,” said Arteta, who was also without Aubameyang for the teams’ FA Cup meeting on Saturday “Auba is having a difficult time and we are all behind him. This win was for him.”
When they were held 1-1 by Southampton at Emirates Stadium on 16 December, Arteta’s side were 15th in the table and trailed the Saints by 10 points.
This latest impressive win lifted them above Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side and up into eighth spot, five points off a top-four position. Not that Arteta is looking.
“I don’t want to look at the table,” said the Spaniard. “I want to look at ourselves, how we can get better, the reason we are playing better and winning football matches.”
Arteta’s team are finally producing results, with a fifth win in six league games easing the pain of Saturday’s FA Cup exit, while building further momentum before Saturday’s intriguing home game with high-flying Manchester United.