HT: Manchester City 0-1 Arsenal - Boyata sent off after four minutes, as Nasri goal put Gunners ahead

Joe Hart kept high-flying Manchester City in contention after an extraordinary first half against Arsenal this afternoon.

City's hopes of registering a fifth successive Barclays Premier League win were immediately jeopardised at Eastlands as Dedryck Boyata was sent off after five minutes.

Samir Nasri pounced to give the Gunners the lead and Cesc Fabregas could have added a second but Hart brilliantly saved his 40th-minute penalty.

Manchester City left Emmanuel Adebayor on the bench for this afternoon's Barclays Premier League clash with his former club Arsenal.

The Togo striker, who infamously celebrated in front of Gunners fans after scoring against them last season, hit a Europa League hat-trick in midweek but Carlos Tevez returned to lead the line.

Dedryck Boyata started in defence at Eastlands with Joleon Lescott among the substitutes alongside fit-again £23million signing Mario Balotelli.

Arsenal were without Abou Diaby but Bacary Sagna returned from injury and Andrey Arshavin was chosen ahead of Tomas Rosicky.

The match was preceded by a memorial service outside the stadium for former City manager Malcolm Allison, who died last week, and a minute's applause immediately prior to kick-off.

The game got off to an explosive start as City created two good opportunities and had a man dismissed inside the opening four minutes.

The decision to start with Boyata immediately looked a smart one as the Belgian released Tevez with a superb ball down the right.

Tevez raced beyond the defence and into the area but David Silva failed to make firm contact with his ball into the middle and Lukasz Fabianski saved his scuffed shot.

Tevez then set Micah Richards free down the right but this time Sagna slid in to deal with the cross.

Yet no sooner had City started to look dominant than Boyata, as the last man, was sent off for bringing down Marouane Chamakh as he raced onto a Cesc Fabregas ball.

Mark Clattenburg took time to consider his verdict but showed a straight red card.

After that it appeared Clattenburg could be in for a tough afternoon as the tackles started to fly in.

He booked Denilson for a late challenge on Tevez but showed restraint after Nigel de Jong felled Fabregas.

Gareth Barry was shown a yellow card for fouling the Spaniard but Alex Song escaped such punishment for a bad tackle on Silva.

In terms of chances, City had the next when Tevez mishit a shot at Fabianski but Johan Djourou then headed over from a Sagna cross.

The opening goal came after 20 minutes as Samir Nasri played a one-two with Arshavin on the edge of the box and clipped the ball over Joe Hart.

Fabregas, still being given close attention by City, was booked himself after tangling with De Jong.

City responded by again attacking down the right as James Milner played Richards through.

Arsenal struggled to get back but were relieved as Richards checked back onto his left foot and screwed his shot wide.

Song and Djourou also went into Clattenburg's notebook before the break after challenges on Silva and Tevez respectively.

The game refused to settle down and Clattenburg was called upon again as Kompany recklessly lunged in on Fabregas just inside the area.

A penalty was the obvious outcome but Hart kept City in the game with a brilliant save from Fabregas' spot-kick.