Arsenal reax

David Walsh, Sunday Times

And the match was pretty sensational too. City’s victory was important and deserved. Hughes is doing a good job. Joleon Lescott is a fine acquisition and looked wonderfully composed for most of yesterday’s match. Hughes’s good judgement was reflected Nigel de Jong’s gritty and disciplined performance in midfield. There were times in the second half, with the game delicately balanced at 1-1, when Arsenal were outplaying their rivals. But with de Jong, you felt City would never be over-run.

Ian Herbert, Independent on Sunday

While each of City's goals were gifts - the visitors were "defensively shaky; when you mistake at that level you pay for it," Wenger admitted - Arsenal discovered what they lost when Kolo Toure, now City skipper, departed up the M1. A particular moment for City to treasure: Toure's immaculate challenge as Cesc Fabregas advanced into the box with them 1-0 up. His defence headers always reached blue shirts. And when City had, to quote Hughes' pre-match plan "battened down the hatches," they twice destroyed Arsenal on the counter attack. Further evidence of the way Hughes has instilled worldliness where once there was only prettiness.

Rob Draper, Mail on Sunday

A shame then that the headlines will be hogged by the misdemeanours of
Emmanuel Adebayor, whose idea of team unity is to ensure the entire event revolves around himself. Understandably fired up for the clash after his acrimonious departure from Arsenal over the summer, he might have relished this occasion to prove his detractors among their fans wrong

Instead, despite a magnificent performance in footballing terms, he simply displayed all the characteristics which made him so unpopular in north London.

Neil Ashton, News of the World

Mark Hughes' side are the new kids on the block, the emerging force in English football, putting away one of the established order.

Arsenal are all about top-four finishes and fantasy football, yet City are on the upturn after this exceptional performance.

Even without Robinho and Carlos Tevez they were free-flowing going forward, full of flair and without fear.

Louise Taylor, The Observer

After this, City have to be taken seriously as Champions League contenders and it is legitimate to wonder whether they might make the top four at Arsenal's expense. Granted Wenger's men were bigger on artistic merit, but a once frail City creditably refused to fold while playing some eminently decent stuff of their own.

"Who knows how significant this result will be," said Hughes, whose decision to replace Stephen Ireland with Martin Petrov during the second half proved inspired. "But there was some fantastic football from both sides and Emmanuel was outstanding.

Mark Ogden, Sunday Telegraph

Adebayor’s antics overshadowed a fine victory by Mark Hughes’s team, who maintained their 100 per cent record this term.

And he could now find himself suspended for next Sunday’s Manchester derby if the FA decide to punish him for either of his flashpoints this week.

Arsenal, unfortunate to lose 2-1 at Old Trafford two weeks ago, started brightly and dominated possession throughout the game.