Alan Shearer insists Man City duo Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne bullied Arsenal centre-back pairing Gabriel Magalhaes and Rob Holding on Wednesday night.

The Premier League leaders crashed to a 4-1 loss at the Etihad Stadium to lose control of a title race they have dominated for most of the season.

Man City’s emphatic victory took the champions within two points of the Gunners at the top and, with two games in hand, Pep Guardiola’s treble-chasing side now look firm favourites.

April has been a frustrating month for Arsenal, with the Gunners collecting just three points from their last four matches in the Premier League.

They were undone by a brilliant performance from Man City with former Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer heaping praise on Haaland and De Bruyne, who gave Gabriel and Holding a torrid outing.

Speaking on Match of the Day, Shearer said: “Every time the ball went up, their understanding to know when, how and where to run, the timing and then the finish. They were never too far from each other, De Bruyne was always within five, ten yards of Haaland.

“It was a magnificent performance from start to finish from Man City, they totally dominated in every position. Some of the play tonight was absolutely magnificent.

“Haaland was too strong, he got one goal, he could of or should of had three or four. His finishing tonight wasn’t like how it has been the rest of the season. Arsenal just couldn’t cope with them tonight, they did bully them.”

Jamie Carragher agreed with Shearer and praised the way Man City moved the ball to Haaland, while the Liverpool legend described the Arsenal defence as “not great”.

“Pep talking after the game about using Haaland with more direct passes, he was unplayable tonight when getting the ball early,” former Liverpool defender Carragher wrote on Twitter.

“The CBs for Arsenal were not great, but very few defenders can cope with him physically. I think that was one of Haaland’s best game for Man City.”

Aaron Ramsdale has had a good season for Arsenal but Carragher criticised the former Sheffield United goalkeeper for his role in Man City’s opening goal on Wednesday night.

Carragher wrote on Twitter: “Normally it’s KDB who feeds Haaland, roles reversed to make it 1-0! Very poor from Ramsdale.”

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