Arsenal vs. Manchester City: Score, Reaction from 2015 Premier League Match

Arsenal boosted their Premier League title chances with a win against Manchester City on Monday night, prevailing 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium.

First-half goals from Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud were enough for manager Arsene Wenger's side as Mesut Ozil once again proved to be the difference. Yaya Toure scored a brilliant late strike to drag City back into the game, making it a nervous finish for the north Londoners. 

The Gunners were unchanged for the game as Alexis Sanchez remained unavailable. Sergio Aguero returned for the Sky Blues after his recent injury woes, and Kevin De Bruyne and Fabian Delph entered the starting XI for Jesus Navas and Raheem Sterling. 

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Arsenal dominated the opening exchanges of the match as City sat back and absorbed pressure.

The Etihad Stadium team slowly found their feet in the game, retaining possession, but the hosts continued to play a high line. 

Football writer Michael Cox commented on the movement of David Silva, as Arsenal attempted to pin the Spaniard down:

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It was the Gunners who struck first after the half-hour mark as City began to compete higher up the pitch.

Ozil was in superb form, feeding Walcott on the left, who curled his shot beyond the diving Joe Hart.

The finish was of world-class quality, and the England international once again proved he is one of the Premier League's most dangerous attackers. 

Presenter Gary Lineker believed the goalscorer might have found his perfect position:

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Arsenal grabbed their second of the night after calamitous defending from City, as Eliaquim Mangala gave the ball away cheaply.

The centre-back poked the ball forward and miskicked to the Gunners' midfield, allowing Ozil to thread a pass to Giroud—who smashed the ball home below Hart.

It was a sorry moment for the Sky Blues, who were their own worst enemies during the first 45 minutes. 

WhoScored.com shared the vital statistics at half-time, highlighting player ratings and the brilliance of Ozil:

City appeared stunned at the start of the second half, as Arsenal looked cool, calm and composed in possession. 

The Manchester side were forced to stretch the game in their search for a goal, but this played into the Gunners' hands as they looked for the counter. 

Sterling was brought into the fray to boost City's attack, but Aguero couldn't last the distance and was replaced after the hour mark. 

De Bruyne had two great chances to drive his team back into the encounter, but the Belgian was not in his best form on Monday night.

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City had plenty of possession in Arsenal's half, often finding themselves in the final third, but their finishing was woeful compared to the hosts' efficiency.

Ozil was given a hero's round of applause when he departed after 75 minutes with Wenger looking to shut the game down in the final moments.

Substitute Navas surrendered a magnificent chance for City with 11 minutes remaining, opting to pass the ball when he was clean through—apparently, he had no confidence in his ability to score from a quality opportunity. 

City gave themselves a chance of a point moments later as the ineffective Toure found the back of the net with a sweet finish to make it 2-1.

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The midfielder had struggled in the match, but he found the corner of the net with a beautiful effort. 

The visitors then went hell for leather in the final moments as they smelled blood in their nostrils. Arsenal looked battle-weary as City found new energy. 

Yaya led the charge as City poured forward, and the home crowd's nerves were clearly evident. 

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However, it was too little, too late for the visitors, who could not attain a second goal in a frantic end to the match. 

City will be disappointed with their performance, as they only looked dangerous in the last 10 minutes of the tie. They had chances earlier in the game, but there was a lack of cutting edge from their superstar attackers.

The Gunners are two points behind leaders Leicester City going into Christmas Day and can go top of the league on Boxing Day.

Post-Match Reaction

Wenger cut a relieved figure after the match but was delighted his team showed enough maturity to claim the three points, propelling his side closer to Leicester at the top, per the club's official Twitter account:

Arsenal and City both feature again on Boxing Day, as the Gunners travel to Southampton, and the Sky Blues play host to Sunderland as they attempt to restart their title challenge.