Cazorla and Giroud fore Arsenal to huge win at Man City

Arsene Wenger will be super proud of his sides performance at the Etihad

Santi Cazorla inspired Arsenal to a 2-0 victory at champions Manchester City, scoring one and setting up the other for Olivier Giroud.

The Citizens welcomed back both captain Vincent Kompany and striker Sergio Aguero for Eliaquim Mangala and Stevan Jovetic, while James Milner started in midfield in place of the injured Samir Nasri.

Arsenal made two changes to the side which beat Stoke City 3-0 last time out, with Aaron Ramsey preferred to Tomas Rosicky in midfield and Hector Bellerin starting at right-back in place of shoulder injury victim Mathieu Debuchy.

The meeting of the two sides in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium in September ended in a 2-2 draw, with Martin Demichelis netting a late equaliser for the visitors.

The game got off to a slowish start, with neither keeper tested in the opening minutes, although Laurent Koscielny did pick up an early yellow card.

The Gunners fashioned the first real opening 18 minutes in when Giroud headed narrowly wide of target from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's ball into the area.

However, just over five minutes later the visitors did hit the front after Nacho Monreal had been impeded in the area by the returning Kompany and Cazorla stepped up to plant the resulting penalty to the left of Joe Hart.

And that goal seemed to have a deflating effect on the hosts, who ended the first 45 minutes having failed to register a shot on target, with Aguero lacking support and having had little or no impact.

Arsenal star striker Alexis Sanchez had fared little better, in what was a disappointing first half in such an important fixture.

City came out after the interval clearly intent on getting back into the game, having brought on Jovetic, and Aguero soon forced a diving save from David Ospina, who had to parry a stinging Jesus Navas drive shortly afterwards.

Aaron Ramsey shot wide at the other end when well-placed, before Koscielny got a vital touch to a Navas cross to prevent either Aguero or Jovetic from equalising, as City threw on Frank Lampard to try and change the flow of the game.

However, with just over 20 minutes of the second half played, the hosts fell asleep in defence as Cazorla whipped a free-kick into the area and Giroud was allowed far too much time and space and placed a firm header beyond Hart.

Sanchez, who worked tirelessly for little reward, forced Hart into a solid block as the visitors went in search of a third goal, with the Citizens looking disjointed and lacking in ideas, with David Silva having a rare poor game in midfield.

Even a late onslaught proved to be beyond Manuel Pellegrini's men, with their best efforts coming as Jovetic had a shot deflected away for a corner, before skipper Kompany headed a late delivery wide.

The final whistle brought jubilation among the travelling fans, whose side moved up to fifth place in the Premier League table, above Tottenham, and to within one point of Manchester United, who currently occupy the final champions League qualifying spot.

As for City, they are now five points adrift of league leaders Chelsea, who demolished Swansea City 5-0 at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday, having dropped seven points from a possible 12 in their last four league games.

Most worrying for Pellegrini is a defensive frailty which has seen his side concede seven goals in those four games, including two in each of their last three outings at the Etihad.