Arsenal Make Statement With Long-Awaited Win Over Manchester City

Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal have broken a significant barrier in their bid to win the Premier League after Gabriel Martinelli's late goal sealed a cathartic 1-0 victory against Manchester City

Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal have broken a significant barrier in their bid to win the Premier League after Gabriel Martinelli's late goal sealed a cathartic 1-0 victory against Manchester City. Arteta's side had lost their previous 12 league meetings with City before Martinelli's 86th minute strike deflected off Nathan Ake to spark wild celebrations at the Emirates Stadium. For the first time since December 2015, the Gunners could savour a victory over City and they embraced the moment amid jubilant scenes on the pitch and among the 60,000 sell-out crowd.

Arsenal had already beaten City on penalties in the Community Shield at Wembley in August, a success they celebrated with almost as much vigour as Sunday's.

But this was a far more important result, coming not in a glorified friendly but in the red-hot atmosphere of a crucial clash between the champions and their closest rivals last season.

Arsenal held an eight-point lead at the top of the table in April, only to collapse in the final furlong as City lifted a third successive title en route to an incredible treble.

Rather than let the pain from that meltdown break them, Arteta and his players are using it as fuel to land the club's first title in 20 years.