A brace from Kevin de Bruyne was added to by strikes from John Stones and Erling Haaland as Pep Guardiola's men cantered to victory over their title rivals at the Etihad and while the competitiveness of the clash failed to live up to the billing, it remained a fiery encounter throughout. 

Arsenal fans called for Ruben Dias to shown red card at the end of the first half when he kicked out at Ben White with Michael Oliver showing him a yellow card. Jack Grealish and Thomas Partey were seen involved in altercation in the second period when the Man City player elbowed the Arsenal midfielder. The Ghanaian responded by storming into Grealish and pushing his hand into his face.

And those aggressive vibes continued at the final whistle when Haaland and White appeared to get involved in a confrontation. Haaland was caught by the BT Sport cameras marching towards White. As he approached the Arsenal man, he was kept a safe distance away by a host of red and blue shirts. More players began to get involved in the melee as referee Oliver was forced to diffuse the situation.

But the official avoided dismissing anyone as the situation eventually calmed down, with both teams walking off the pitch without any serious incident. City's 4-1 win moves them to within two points of Arsenal with two games in hand. And it may well end up being the decisive blow in the title race come the end of the season.