MANCHESTER, Dec 14: Manchester City exposed the first cracks in Arsenal’s title challenge, producing another fearsome attacking display to overpower the Premier League leaders 6-3 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

City, whose early opener from Sergio Aguero was cancelled out by Theo Walcott, opened up a two-goal lead with Alvaro Negredo and Fernandinho efforts either side of half-time.

Arsenal briefly rallied with a superb second from Walcott, but David Silva restored the two-goal lead from close range and Fernandinho poked home his second to maintain City’s 100 percent home league record as the visitors were dismantled by many pundits’ favourites for the title.

Even Per Mertesacker’s late consolation for Arsenal was trumped by City as Yaya Toure stroked in a stoppage time penalty to keep up City’s average of four goals per league game at Etihad Stadium this season.

Arsenal’s lead at the top of the table was reduced to three points as City jumped to second, three points behind.

Held 1-1 at Southampton last weekend, City made a determined start and took the lead in the 14th minute.

Samir Nasri’s right-wing corner was headed on by Martin Demichelis and Aguero hooked home a waist-high volley at the back post to notch his 15th goal in 13 games.

Negredo spurned an opportunity to extend City’s lead when he shot wide and Arsenal capitalised in the 31st minute, with Walcott bobbling a shot home from a Mesut Ozil pass after Aaron Ramsey robbed Toure.

Negredo again failed to find the target moments later, this time from Silva’s pass, but he atoned in the 39th minute by tucking in a low cross from Pablo Zabaleta to restore the hosts’ advantage.

To make matters worse for Arsenal, centre-back Laurent Koscielny had to be stretchered off after cutting his knee as he slid in alongside Negredo, with the club announcing via Twitter that he had suffered a “deep laceration”.

City saw Aguero limp off early in the second half, but they extended their lead in the 50th minute when Fernandinho picked up a loose pass from Ozil and curled a sublime finish around Wojciech Szczesny.

Olivier Giroud squandered two chances to reduce the arrears, volleying over from a Jack Wilshere pass and then heading Bacary Sagna’s cross fractionally wide, before Walcott struck again in the 63rd minute.

Ramsey dinked a pass behind the City defence for the England forward, who collected the ball and shaped a graceful shot into the top-right corner.

Silva converted a low cross from Jesus Navas and Fernandinho dinked home his second goal before Mertesacker headed in an injury-time consolation for Arsenal, only for Toure to complete the scoring from the spot after Szczesny tripped James Milner.—Agencies