An early goal from de Bruyne killed off this game as a contest, as he capitalised on an uncharacteristic loose ball from Odegaard.
Trossard and Jorginho entered the fray for the ineffective Martinelli and the wild Xhaka, who was in danger of getting carded, after putting his arm around Grealish provocatively.
Smith-Rowe came on as a substitute for the disappointing Odegaard.
In the final analysis, too many of Arsenal's top performers were slightly under par.
Nketiah was introduced for Jesus, who had the fizzle of a damp squib, and Nelson got some well-deserved minutes in place of Saka, who was totally snuffed out.
Holding managed to pull a goal back from Trossard's pass, but fighting spirit won't be enough to wrestle the title from the current holders of it.
Haaland's inevitable goal at the end is unlikely to make any difference, as City's goal difference is already vastly superior.
Despite yet another blip, albeit an expected one, the Arsenal fans remained in good voice with the team staying at the top of the table for now.
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