Manchester City increased the pressure on Mikel Arteta as the League Cup holders powered into the semi-finals with a 4-1 demolition of troubled Arsenal on Tuesday.
City ensured it will be a miserable Christmas for beleaguered Arsenal boss Arteta by condemning his side to a fourth defeat in their last six games in all competitions.
Gabriel Jesus took just three minutes to put City ahead at the Emirates Stadium and although Alexandre Lacazette equalised, it was another night of torture for Arteta.
Arsenal’s reserve keeper Alex Runarsson was made a horrendous mistake when he allowed Riyad Mahrez’s free-kick to squirm into the net.
Phil Foden and Aymeric Laporte piled on the pain for Arsenal with further goals to seal the rout.
Languishing 15th in the Premier League after losing five of their last seven games — their worst start to a season since 1974-75 — Arsenal are in crisis.
Amid talk of dressing room unrest, Arteta, who worked as Pep Guardiola’s City assistant before joining Arsenal 12 months ago, will be in danger of the sack if Arsenal’s wretched run continues into the new year.
Arteta had said he wants “fighters” around him to resolve the team’s problems, but there was little punch about woeful Arsenal.
The Spaniard made eight changes from Saturday’s defeat at Everton, yet City made seven switches of their own and still went ahead in the blink of an eye.
Jesus, without a goal in his previous seven games, started the move wide on the left when he fed Foden and made an astute run into the six-yard box.
Oleksandr Zinchenko’s cross reached Jesus and, aided by Runarsson’s missed punch, the Brazilian netted with a clinical header at the near post while the Gunners’ defence stood and watched.
Arsenal equalised against the run of play in the 31st minute as Gabriel Martinelli’s cross from the byline found Lacazette, who threw himself forward to guide his header into the roof of the net.
City were gifted the lead again in the 54th minute when Runarsson made a complete hash of dealing with Mahrez’s free-kick, the Iceland international allowing a shot that was straight at him to slip through his gloves like a bar of soap.
Knockout blow
Arsenal were staggering against the ropes and Foden delivered the knockout blow five minutes later.
With no VAR in the League Cup, Foden’s run from a slightly offside position went unchecked and he met Fernandinho’s pass with a cool flick over Runarsson.
Foden turned provider in the 73rd minute with a teasing cross that was headed in by Laporte.
City trail eight points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, but they are unbeaten in their last nine games in all competitions — conceding just two goals in that period.
Guardiola’s men have won the League Cup for the last three seasons and are bidding to become the first team to win it four years in a row since Liverpool from 1981 to 1984.
Brentford, fourth in the Championship,enjoyed a shock 1-0 win against Premier League side Newcastle thanks to Josh Dasilva’s 66th minute goal in west London.
Thomas Frank’s team had already knocked out West Bromwich Albion, Southampton and Fulham en route to the quarter-finals.
Their fourth Premier League scalp took them into their first ever major domestic cup semi-final.
“It means a lot to me, the staff and the players because it’s a massive step and a massive win,” Frank said.
Badly hit by an outbreak of the coronavirus recently, this was another bitter blow in a frustrating season for Newcastle, who were hoping to reach their first domestic semi-final since the 2004-05 FA Cup.
“I’m bitterly disappointed and very frustrated at this minute,” Newcastle manager Steve Bruce said.
