With no goals and no wins in their opening two games in the 2021/22 Premier League campaign, the last opponents that Arsenal needed were a swashbuckling Manchester City side.
Pep Guardiola’s team knew that they’d go top of the table with a win by two goals or more, and the result was never in doubt as early as the 12th minute.
By that point, Ilkay Gundogan and Ferran Torres had already netted.
Granit Zhaka’s 35th-minute red card killed the game as a contest, and then shortly afterwards, Gabriel Jesus bagged a third.
A fourth from Rodri early in the second half merely underscored the gulf between the two sides, before Torres’ second rounded off the scoring.
The result sent the Gunners to the bottom of the table before the 3pm kick-offs.
The manner of the defeat, even with a slight improvement over the second 45, was too much for some Arsenal fans.
Many took to Twitter to vent their anger at manager, Mikel Arteta, whose stewardship at the club must be seriously under threat now.