RAHEEM STERLING scored the only goal of the game as Manchester City defeated Arsenal 1-0.
Gunners £45m new boy Thomas Partey came on for the final 10 minutes, with the highlight of his brief debut a yellow card.
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- Sam Dymond
A STERLING EFFORT
Manchester City's match-winner, and captain for the day, Raheem Sterling has been speaking to Sky Sports about tonight's game.
“We’ve dropped a couple of points early on, and we knew that coming out of the international break we needed three points to kickstart our season.
'Today will definitely give us a leap of confidence to go with into the next couple of games.
“They’re a good team. Once they sussed out what we were doing, they closed us down really well and had some good chances.
“We knew today would be a grind because Mikel [Arteta] has them really well drilled.
“[With the return of Sergio Aguero] you could feel how fluid we were in our possession and to have an out-and-out striker there to link up with was really good again.”
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DIAS DOMINATES
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FRIENDS REUNITED
There's not much social distancing going on where these two former Borussia Dortmund teammates are concerned.
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THE DIFFERENCE
Raheem Sterling celebrates after scoring the only goal of the game.
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CITY THE BOGEYMEN
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FT: MAN CITY 1-0 ARSENAL
Arsenal huffed and puffed but couldn't find a response to Raheem Sterling's first half goal.
It means another away defeat away at one of the big six for the Gunners.
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PEEEEEEEEEEP!
IT'S ALL OVER!
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MAN CITY 1-0 ARSENAL
90+4. Partey is booked.
Welcome to the Premier League.
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MAN CITY 1-0 ARSENAL
90+3. Tierney wants a corner after his sliding challenge clipped off Mahrez, but it was an intervention not spotted by the officials.
Time is almost up for the Londoners.
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MAN CITY 1-0 ARSENAL
90+2. No, it doesn't look like it.
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MAN CITY 1-0 ARSENAL
90. Four minutes of added time are signalled by the fourth official.
Arsenal have lost their way in the last 15 minutes, do they have one last burst in them?
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MAN CITY 1-0 ARSENAL
89. Fernandinho is on to provide experience and security in the final moments.
He takes over duties from Phil Foden.
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MAN CITY 1-0 ARSENAL
87. As Sterling passes up the opportunity for his second by dallying in the box, Opta informs us that Thomas Partey is the first Ghanaian to play a Premier League game for Arsenal since Emmanuel Frimpong in 2011.
Spells at Charlton and Barnsley await.
- Sam Dymond
MAN CITY 1-0 ARSENAL
85. Nathan Ake goes into Chris Kavanagh's book for timewasting.
That gives an indication of the nerves among the home ranks.
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MAN CITY 1-0 ARSENAL
83. A double substitution for the visitors brings an Arsenal debut for their new £45m midfielder Thomas Partey.
Also on is Eddie Nketiah, who this week broke the England U21 goalscoring record.
The pair replace Granit Xhaka and Nicolas Pepe.
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MAN CITY 1-0 ARSENAL
82. Perhaps David Luiz should have been involved.
Pepe curls left-footed, low and around the wall, but it's well wide of the target.
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MAN CITY 1-0 ARSENAL
81. Aubameyang wins a free-kick 25 yards from goal after being upended by Walker.
There's no sign of David Luiz, but Pepe, Lacazette and Aubameyang all stand over it.
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MAN CITY 1-0 ARSENAL
80. The game is starting to stretch out as it reaches the final ten minutes.
After such a high tempo, legs are growing tired and mistakes are being made.
Another goal – one end or the other – would be no surprise.
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MAN CITY 1-0 ARSENAL
77. Nearly a cruel conclusion for David Luiz, who has been decent enough this evening.
The Brazilian pokes out a hopeful leg to divert Cancelo's cross, and almost – almost – finds the bottom corner of his own-goal.
It would have been slapstick punchline to a beautiful set-up from Cancelo, who turned Tierney inside out before crossing.
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MAN CITY 1-0 ARSENAL
73. Gabriel takes a risk as he steps across to barge Mahrez inside the area.
The Brazilian took not one, but two looks at his opponent before wiping him out off the ball.
Chris Kavanagh saw nothing in the challenge..
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SALUTING THE STANDS
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MAN CITY 1-0 ARSENAL
69. David Luiz goes for glory with the free-kick and, while he manages to get it up over the wall, he fails to get it down again after.
In fact, it's still rising..
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta throws on Alexandre Lacazette in place of Willian.
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MAN CITY 1-0 ARSENAL
68. Bukayo Sake has been another bright spark in the Arsenal ranks.
The teenager goes on an exciting run through the City defence, only to be upended by Dias 30 yards from goal.
It brings the defender a yellow card, and the visitors a chance to work Ederson.
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MAN CITY 1-0 ARSENAL
65. Aguero has run his race on his return to action.
The striker is still clearly getting up to speed, but showed enough sharpness and skill to please his manager this evening.
Ilkay Gundogan takes over for the final 25 minutes which is likely to mean Sterling moves through the middle.
- Sam Dymond
MAN CITY 1-0 ARSENAL
63. A yellow card for Cancelo for raking his studs down the achilles of Tierney.
It's not a pretty challenge, and the Portuguese defender is perhaps fortunate to only be receiving a booking.
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