In what was our EDS’ first match back from the winter break, we raced into a 5-0 lead at half-time in an electric first half display.
Alex Robertson and Carlos Borges both bagged impressive braces, before Dire Mebude extended the scoreline on the cusp of half-time.
The latter then grabbed his second of the afternoon after the interval in what was a truly spectacular display by the hosts at the Academy Stadium.
City’s victory saw us leapfrog the Gunners to the league’s summit, while also handing our opponents their first PL2 defeat of the season.
And Barry-Murphy believes the success was credit to our players’ work ethic.
“No I didn’t expect the scoreline in anyway shape or form because I’ve seen Arsenal play and they’ve probably been the most impressive side I’ve seen since my time in the Premier League 2,” he said.
“The scoreline is fantastic from our point of view and testament to the performance the lads produced, really.
“I quite enjoyed our intensity in the first half. I thought we were aggressive, and we built this up as a top of the table clash which it was. So, to see the players apply themselves was very important.
“I think the nature of how quickly we scored was obviously difficult for the opponents and that hasn’t always been the case this season, so we were really clinical in the final actions and our play was at a very high level throughout the game.”
City are eyeing a third consecutive PL2 trophy in as many years this term following title triumphs in 2020/21 and 2021/22.
Beating fellow rivals and climbing to the top of the league was undoubtedly pleasing viewing for Barry-Murphy and his side.
But our EDS head coach is remaining focused on the task at hand in the short and long term.
“I think [the win is] a sign of the potential in the dressing room. We’ve got a lot of work to do because these players are developing all the time,” he added.
“There have been stages this season where there has been flashes of what we can achieve and not quite backed it up.
“We’re always looking to test our players and provide an even bigger challenge for them.”
