Hughes delight at City shut-out: Manchester City 3, Arsenal 0

MANCHESTER City eased their own troubles and piled on the misery for crisis-club Arsenal at Eastlands on Saturday.

After winning only one of their previous eight Premier League matches City, who kicked off just a point clear of the relegation places, were feeling the heat on an icy afternoon.

But amid claims that there has been off-the-field unrest at Eastlands, City quelled them with a gutsy display to defeat Arsenal, one of the so-called ‘Big Four.’

For Arsenal, however, it was the end of a dismal week which saw William Gallas stripped of the captaincy and dropped after he went public with tales of two players comings to blows in the changing room.

Arsenal, in fairness, were without nine senior players but that was of little concern to under-fire City manager Mark Hughes who dismissed Arsene Wenger’s claim that the margin of victory flattered City.

Hughes, who has had player problems of his own to deal with, explained that strong leadership is imperative in such circumstances.

“You cannot have the tail wagging the dog. The players have to understand who is manager and who will make key decisions,” declared Hughes.

“This is only the second time City have beaten Arsenal in the Premier League so it is a significant victory and I think we were good value for it. We are delighted with out performance and the result.”

Hughes pointed out that City’s total of 29 goals is only bettered by Chelsea - but equally important was the rare clean sheet.

“Our two centre-halves and full-backs were rock solid and keeper Joe Hart came to the fore when we needed him,” said Hughes.

It was another Robinho-inspired victory and with better luck in front of goal he could have scored a second hat-trick for City.

But it was a measure of how lack-lustre most of the opening period was that the loudest cheer came when Hughes sent Brazilian Elano from the bench to warm up along the touchline.

The breakthrough after in first-half stoppage time thanks to a comical piece of defending when Mikael Silvestre and Gael Clichy collided going for the same ball which fell for Stephen Ireland to calmly lift his shot over the head of keeper Manuel Almunia for his seventh goal of the season.

City doubled their advantage early in the second period when Shaun Wright-Phillips released Robinho who burst clear before lobbing Almunia from the edge of the area.

Hart preserved the two-goal advantage with a crucial block with his legs to deny Nicklas Bendtner, a rare moment of anxiety at the back.

And in the final quarter of the game Robinho ran rings round an Arsenal side forced to take risks in an effort to claw their way back into the match.

Robinho headed disappointingly wide when well placed, had a goal ruled out for a borderline offside, saw an effort palmed out by Alumina and then rounded the Arsenal keeper before seeing his shot cleared off the line by Johan Djourou.

But they finally scored their third goal in stoppage time when substitute Daniel Sturridge who had only been on for two minutes, was brought down by Djourou and slotted home the penalty himself.