This archive report was first published on 18 June 2020.
On the first night of the Premier League's return, Manchester City secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Arsenal behind closed doors. The match was marked by a series of mistakes from Arsenal's David Luiz, who was sent off in the second half.
Luiz came on as a first-half substitute and failed to clear the ball just before half-time, allowing Raheem Sterling to fire in City's opener. Sterling's goal was the result of a Luiz mistake, and the defender's night only got worse from there.
Luiz was sent off after pulling back Riyad Mahrez in the second half, giving away a penalty that Kevin de Bruyne coolly slotted in for City's second. Substitute Phil Foden netted a third for the defending champions, capitalising on a rebound from Sergio Aguero's strike.
Despite the loss, Arsenal showed bursts of energy from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Eddie Nketiah going forward in the first half. However, it was City who were more dangerous, with de Bruyne, Sterling, and David Silva all being denied by Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno.
Victory for Pep Guardiola's side means league leaders Liverpool remain six points away from winning the title, effectively ruling out any potential celebrations in Sunday's Merseyside derby.
