Manchester City 1 Arsenal 5 - UNITED fans are starting to smell a rat. City perform like world beaters at Old Trafford and in the next game Arsenal are 4-0 up at Maine Road inside 19 minutes.

And it is not the first time it has happened either. Last time in the Premiership two years ago City snatched a deserved point at Old Trafford but when Arsenal came to Maine Road the wheels came off and Arsene Wenger's side were an unassailable four goals ahead after 36 minutes.

This term City have deprived United of five championship points and lost all six to Arsenal. If it had been the other way round United would currently be five points ahead of their London rivals instead of five behind.

The cynics could be excused for thinking the City team as well as the fans, who gave Arsenal a standing ovation at the final whistle, have got something against them.

But that would just be paranoia because City did their best only Arsenal were so good the Blues were lucky to be second best in a two-horse race.

Kevin Keegan believes Arsenal will win the Champions League. He has a point but, then again, unlike City on Saturday Champions League sides do not lie down and die.

Arsenal will have to beat Real Madrid for the ultimate prize and a victory over a team playing with the defensive organisation and blunder capability of the Red Lion - no offence to Sunday League sides - is no yardstick to make such grand judgements.

City were as bad as Arsenal were good in that opening 20 minutes when Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pirez, Thierry Henry and Sol Campbell punished kindergarten defending.

The next 70 minutes was an exercise in Arsenal muscle-flexing and City damage limitation in which Patrick Vieira added a fifth and the only bright spots for the Blues were Eyal Berkovic proving he is as good as anyone in Arsenal's midfield, Shaun Wright-Phillips revelling against the side speculation has it he will be joining in the summer, a decent Carlo Nash show in goal and another improvement in Robbie Fowler's game.

For the first time in his three games, Fowler did not look out of place and, indeed, had three good chances excellently saved by Stuart Taylor who also made acrobatic saves from Nicolas Anelka, Berkovic and Shaun Wright-Phillips before Anelka slid home a late consolation from Fowler's pinpoint pass.

Keegan said: "We got sucker-punched four times.

"They were at their most dangerous when we had a corner and after the first 20 minutes it was just damage limitation.

"I have watched Arsenal play quite a bit and they are on a different planet to us. I haven't seen anything which changes my opinion that they will win the Champions League this season.

"I will have to show my players the first 20 minutes because there are some harsh lessons to be learned."