Manchester City are one of the most dominant teams to have ever been seen in the Premier League or English football.
Exercising the mantra of their manager to keep the ball, Pep Guardiola's side cut through teams to take the lead in games and then either strangle the game by refusing to yield possession or go on and score again - or both. A supreme ability to control the ball helps to control opponents and control matches and, ultimately, title races.
It was a rarity, then, to see Arsenal unsettle the Blues on New Year's Day. City players rightly pointed afterwards to how tired they were in their third fixture of the festive schedule while the Gunners were relatively refreshed, but they also highlighted just how good the home side were. Arsenal were relentless off the ball harrying City and brave when they did have it, forcing mistakes by being bold and aggressive.
The fact that Bukayo Saka's strike was just the second first-half goal City have conceded in the Premier League this season proves just how dominant the champions have been at shutting teams out. In the first half of 21 games - 945 minutes to make the point more vividly - Ederson has let in just two goals and has watched his team score 27 at the other end. With those sorts of figures, it is little wonder they are topping the table.
If City were shaken by conceding and going behind in the league for the first time since October, they also then had to come out after the break in the period of the match when they have been worst in this season. Before Saturday, the first 15 minutes of the second half was the only 15-minute block where they had conceded more (five goals) than they had scored (four).
Son Heung-Min and Sadio Mane have given their teams the lead in that time, Ollie Watkins got his back into the match at Villa Park and Leicester roared back with two in close succession on Boxing Day. However bludgeoning City have been in the first half of games, for whatever reason opponents have been able to get at them at the start of the second half.
All the more surprising then at Arsenal, when the Blues not only held their own end - with the help of Nathan Ake and the woodwork - but also stormed the opposition penalty box. Bernardo Silva outfoxed Granit Xhaka and Riyad Mahrez stepped up to slam home the penalty and help swing the momentum of the match. With the red card moments later, City then had control for the remaining half-hour and Rodri bagged the dramatic late winner.
Mahrez's goal means that City have now scored as many as they have conceded in that spell immediately after half-time. It remains by far their worst block during the 90 minutes but will have pleased Guardiola to see his team produce in a time that they all too often haven't this year.
That, really, has been the story of City's season so far: just when opponents think they have them worked out the players break the mould again.
