Arsenal’s hopes of a successful season took a hit on Sunday, as they were defeated 3-1 by Manchester City in the Premier League.

The Gunners had a dream start to the match, with Emile Smith-Rowe scoring in the first minute, but their lead was quickly cancelled out by a Kevin De Bruyne goal in the 18th minute.

The game then swung in City’s favor, as Riyad Mahrez scored in the 25th minute and Gabriel Jesus added a third in the second half.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was disappointed with the result, but said he still believes in his players.

“We started well and had a great chance to take the lead, but we didn’t take our chances,” Arteta said.

“We have to be better in these situations and show more belief in ourselves. We have to learn from this and move on.”

The result leaves Arsenal in eighth place in the Premier League table, while Manchester City move to the top of the table.

Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu was at fault for City’s second goal, with his mistake leading to Mahrez’s strike. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher was critical of the Japanese international, saying: “What the fu** was he doing?”

The result leaves Arsenal with a lot of work to do if they want to challenge for the title this season.