When it rains, it pours: Hapless Arsenal the victims of Man City's ruthless return to goalscoring form

Pep Guardiola held back on suggestions that Manchester City's goalscoring problems are over after their 4-1 win over Arsenal.

"It's like in Manchester. It rains every day, when one day the sun rises it doesn't mean the weather is going to change," he said.

"It is just one game but we will see what happens in the future, but we are happy to be in the semi-finals again, four years in a row."

After four seasons of intimidating and bullying opponents under Guardiola, a lack of goals has seen City lose some of their fear factor this season.

His side have ruthlessly dismantled teams on a routine basis throughout his reign. Last season, City scored four or more goals in 15 matches. It was the same in the season before.

But the 4-1 victory in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals was just the second time that they have hit that total this season, with the goals drying up and their Premier League title challenge stalling.

City's stroll at Emirates Stadium does have to be balanced against the fact that Arsenal were wretched and gifted them at least one goal while another would have been ruled out had VAR been used.

But, at last, City found their old killer instinct; their goal tally in 90 minutes equalled their total from their previous four Premier League matches.

"We have been struggling but that is football," winger Riyad Mahrez said. "It’s not always easy to score four or five goals, even if it’s always been our standard."

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If ever there was a place for City to rediscover their ruthless edge it was at the Emirates against Mikel Arteta's struggling side.

Guardiola's City have been merciless against Arsenal when the Gunners have been there for the taking.

The last time the two sides met in the Carabao Cup, in February 2018, City embarrassed them at Wembley 3-0.

Four days later, the Emirates was half-empty long before the Covid-19 pandemic, as City destroyed Arsene Wenger's side with three goals inside 33 minutes.

Even last December, when City were far from their best, they wrecked caretaker manager Freddie Ljungberg's hopes of getting the job on a permanent basis with another three first-half goals.

In fact, Guardiola's side are the first team to win four consecutive away games at Arsenal since 1965.

They finally looked like their old selves from the moment Runar Runnarson inexplicably flapped Mahrez's free-kick into the top corner to make it 2-1.

From that point forward, City cut loose and it was a reminder of what they can do when they are at their dominant best.

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Phil Foden may have been slightly offside for the third, but the 20-year-old plays with freedom and dynamism when the pressure is taken off and he took his chance beautifully.

Indeed, his quick feet and perfect cross set up Aymeric Laporte for the fourth as City went in search of more goals.

In doing so, City maintained their incredible run of not being eliminated from the Carabao Cup for four years.

The challenge now is to build on the victory, starting with two crucial matches against Newcastle and Everton in the space of 48 hours just after Christmas. They can take positives from the victory and forget about how bad Arsenal were. 

Striker Gabriel Jesus ended his own goal drought with the opener inside three minutes - his first goal in eight appearances - while Sergio Aguero finished the game as he steps up his fitness after a knee injury.

City are at their best when they attack relentlessly and give their opponents no time to breathe. 

There were signs of that ruthlessness and a lack of Christmas goodwill for former City coach Arteta, as he desperately clings to his job.

Guardiola will demand the same in their crucial double-header that rounds off 2020 and hope the four goals at Arsenal were not just a gap in the clouds, but a permanent breakthrough.