MATCH REPORT: Manchester City 4-1 Arsenal

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Manchester City (2) 4 Arsenal (0) 1

Premier League

Etihad Stadium, Ashton New Road, Manchester M11 3FF

Wednesday, 26th April 2023. Kick-off time: 8.00pm

(4-3-3) Aaron Ramsdale; Ben White, Rob Holding, Gabriel Magalhães, Oleksandr Zinchenko; Martin Ødegaard (c), Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka; Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli.

Substitutes: Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith-Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, Jakob Kiwior, Leandro Trossard, (Jorge Luiz Frello Filho) Jorginho, Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson, Matt Turner.

Scorers: Rob Holding (86 mins)

Yellow Cards: Thomas Partey

Arsenal Possession Percentage: 48%

Referee: Michael Oliver

Assistant Referees: Stuart Burt, Ian Hussin

Fourth Official: Craig Pawson

VAR Team at Stockley Park: VAR David Coote; AVAR Eddie Smart

Attendance: 51,694

At last the day has arrived for the most eagerly awaited Premiership match of the season. Although it is not a “Premiership Decider” as some elements of the press would have us believe, the result tonight could certainly go a long way as to who lifts the trophy at the end of May.

We kicked off proceedings tonight at the Etihad Stadium, and the home side charged at us quickly with Kevin de Bruyne whipping in a cross that Aaron Ramsdale grabbed out of the air. Shortly afterwards, Aaron Ramsdale palmed out a Jack Grealish cross; Kevin de Bruyne charged in to try and follow-up and was sent tumbling by a tackle from Thomas Partey. The referee gave us a free-kick, despite appeals from the City players for a penalty. In the seventh minute, the home side took the lead when Erling Haaland held the ball up and sent a neat little pass into the path of Kevin de Bruyne, who took the ball to the edge of the box, away from Rob Holding and then fired a low shot past Aaron Ramsdale and into the bottom corner of the net. In the period after the goal was scored, the home side put us under pressure, with Jack Grealish and Kevin de Bruyne looking for gaps in our defence. Although our passing was good, we just could not seem to find a way out of our half for any sustained period of time. Somehow we have to find a way to break through the vice-like grip the home side have on the match at this moment in time. This could be a long night for us. We had a free-kick awarded to us on the edge of the City box after twenty-three minutes, but although Granit Xhaka’s chip found the head of Gabriel, his header went nowhere. A couple of minutes later, Kevin de Bruyne nearly got his second goal of the night when Erling Haaland played a clever ball through the middle for him, but fortunately Ben White managed to block his shot at the last minute to prevent what seemed to be a certain goal by the home side. On the half-hour, Aaron Ramsdale got down well to stick out a hand out and deflect an Erling Haaland shot away from goal and shortly afterwards, another Erling Haaland effort was pushed away by Aaron Ramsdale, thankfully. Ten minutes from half-time, a Thomas Partey shot went inches wide of the target, and again almost imediately afterwards a series of clever moves by Kevin de Bruyne and Jack Grealish found Erling Haaland, whose strong shot went inches wide of Aaron Ramsdale’s right hand post. Three minutes before the break, we were awarded a corner, which Bukayo Saka duly took, but it went nowhere after goalkeeper Ederson punched the ball clear. In injury time, John Stones headed the ball into the back of our net, but it was cancelled out at first for offside, but after an inquiry by the VAR team, it was given. After an incident between Ruben Dias and Ben White (in which the City man was booked), to our relief, referee Michael Oliver blew the whistle for half-time.

Seconds after the restart, Kevin de Bruyne nearly scored when Bernardo Silva chipped a ball to him, but he could not connect with a volley; shortly afterwards, the ball was pulled back to Granit Xhaka on the edge of the penalty area, but he could only curl a weak shot straight at Ederson, who saved it easily. Aaron Ramsdale made a great save with his feet from Erling Haaland (again) and a little while later, Kevin de Bruyne scored the third City goal of the night when he was played through nicely by Erling Haaland (again). Jorginho and Leandro Trossard replaced Gabriel Martinelli and Granit Xhaka after an hour, and it really made no difference, as the home side still went on the hunt for yet more goals. We look outnumbered in midfield, and everyone looks flat footed here tonight. We were fortunate not to get away with another goal conceeded when Ilkay Gundogan had a clear chance to score, but thankfully high and wide. Arsenal were just passing the ball around, unable to find a way through the City midfield, and with twenty minutes of the match remaining, our captain (Martin Ødegaard) made way for Emile Smith-Rowe. Thomas Partey received a yellow card after an incident with Jack Grealish, and with twelve minutes of the match remaining (after a Bukayo Saka free-kick that went nowhere) Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah replaced Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka in order for us to try and get something out of this match tonight. Eddie Nketiah almost scored after being found on the edge of the box by fellow sub Reiss Nelson; he fired an angled shot that flew across the goal and past the far post. With four minutes of the match remaining, from a corner, Leandro Trossard set up Rob Holding to fire in a superb effort for us to get a goal back. In the five minutes injury time, almost to add insult to injury Erling Haaland scored City’s fourth goal with literally seconds of the game remaining. 

It was City’s match from the start to the finish here at the Etihad tonight. We may well have got forty-eight per cent possession out of this game, but that was all. We were outclassed, outplayed, and there were times that we looked like rabbits caught in the headlights. All in all, a very disappointing evening for everyone concerned. But, we are still top of the Premiership, and there are still matches to be played and points to be won and lost in the next month for both teams. Although it does look extremely bleak at the moment, there is still a chance to win the Premiership, despite the fact that City have games in hand. But they have to win those, and strange things can happen with a Premiership run-in. Start praying everyone.

Remember everyone, keep the faith, get behind the team and the manager, as this season is going to be crucial for our future success in all competitions. Stick with the winners. Our next match: Chelsea at the Emirates on Tuesday, 2nd May at 8.00pm (Premier League). Be there, if you can. Victoria Concordia Crescit.

Steve

Too Dearly Loved To Be Forgotten: Arsenal v Racing Club de Paris 1930-1962 by Steve Ingless (Rangemore Publications, ISBN 978-1-5272-0135-4) is now available on Amazon

Economic (and not mental) strength is the key factor in the title run in

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I am seeing as lot of chatter about how Arsenal “need to show mental strength if we wish to win the title”. I find this offensive.

In our last 11 games, we have won 8, drawn 3. That is 27 points from 33. An average of 2.45 points a game.

Over a 38 game season, that would take us to 93 points.

So according to those saying we need to show mental strength, us being on an incredible run and improving of our points per game over a 9 game average is not showing mental strength.

The truth is, those that are saying “Arsenal need to show mental strength” are just looking to use this to write a narrative further down the line if we do not win the league. That narrative will be “Arsenal lacked mental strength to win the title”.

Instead of saying Manchester City were fantastic, and showed record breaking form to keep up with Arsenal, it will be written that Arsenal did not have the mental strength to win it. And therefore we bottled it.

Mental strength is not the key factor in this title run in. Economic strength will be the difference maker.

Manchester City reportedly have a wage bill that is twice Arsenal’s. And the equation is simple – the more you spend on players wages, the better players you likely have.

There squad has also cost them £850m to assemble, against Arsenal’s £470m. We simply can not compete financially.

And this is shown in no better place than central defence.

Nathan Ake (£41m) picked up a thigh injury mid-week that will potentially rule him out for the rest of the season. In his place, Pep Guardiola can call on John Stones (£47.5m), Aymeric Laporte (£57m), Ruben Dias (£60m) and Manuel Akanji (£15m).

Meanwhile, William Saliba has a back injury that does not look like clearing up anytime soon. Mikel Arteta’s options are Rob Holding (£2m) and newly signed Jakub Kiwior (£20m).

As it is the right hand side of our defence, the boy signed from Bolton got the nod.

Now is it mental strength that the drop off from Saliba to Holding is larger than the drop off from Ake to Laporte? Or is it economic strength?

The naysayers will say “we need to spend more money” ignoring the fact that it does not matter how much money we spend, City will always be able to spend more. Anyone that expects us to compete financially with City needs to give their head a wobble.

I am confident in saying that if we had Dias as our 3rd choice central defender rather than Holding, we would have beaten both Liverpool and West Ham. This is not a slight on Holding. He is what he is. And he is not a £60m centreback.

Is being able to call on 2 of the most expensive defenders in Premier League history (Laporte and Dias), a show of mental strength? No. It is a show of economic strength.

Likewise, is having to play a £2m lad signed from Bolton a lack of mental strength? Or a lack of economic strength?

It is not Holding’s fault that he is not as good as Dias; it is not Arsenal’s fault that we can not afford to have mutiple £50m central defenders warming our bench.

Manchester City could go on to become the 2nd English team in history to win the trebele. They could also end up with the 4th highest winning points total in English top flight football history.

The narrative being preped is that Arsenal are bottling the title. But should it actually be that this potentially all-conquering Manchester City side is one of the greatest (and most expensively assembled) teams in football history?

My final thought is 1999.

Did Arsenal bottle the league? And the double? We were top of the league with two games to go, and had a penalty to beat Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final? did we show we did not have the mental strength to win?

Or is it celebrated that the Manchester United team that became heroes in Barcelona were just a great team? And up there as one of the best of all time in English football?

Keenos

Is Barcelona man Arteta’s missing attacking piece?

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For weeks, I have been racking my head with who east attacker we could bring in this summer.

We have previously debated about whether Arsenal needed a striker or a winger. My opinion was simple. Someone to cover Bukayo Saka on the right whilst also being an option up top.

I think I have found my man – Barcelona’s Ansu Fati.

It was not too long ago that Fati was the brightest young thing at Barcelona. The heir apparent to an ageing Lionel Messi.

When Messi left in 2021, it was Fati that inherited his famous number 10 jersey.

In 2019, Bissau born Fati became the second-youngest player to debut for the club. He was just 16 years and 298 days.

6 days later he would score his first goal, and in doing so become Barcelona’s

youngest goalscorer ever and the third-youngest scorer in the history of La Liga.

The records would continue to fall for Fati as he became the youngest player in the history of La Liga to score and assist in the same game. He became the youngest player to appear for Barcelona in the Champions League and the 3rd youngest to play in the collection. He was not yet 17.

At 17 years and 40 days, he would become the youngest goalscorer in Champions League history. He would also be the youngest player to score two in La Liga and later score the 9,000th goal in Barcelona’s history.

Fati would break a 95 year old record when he became Spain’s youngest ever goalscorer at the age of 17 years and 311 days. And then it began to go wrong.

Fati suffered a knee injury against Real Betis and was subbed off at half-time; tests later confirmed that he tore the meniscus in his left knee.

Two days later he underwent surgery and the club announced that he would be out for approximately four months. Four became 9.

323 days after his last game, Fati would make his comeback. His return would last just 4 months before a hamstring injury ruled him out for a further three months.

In his absence, Barcelona have found two new home grown heroes – Pedri and Gavi. Their rise has seen Fati become the forgotten man of Barcelona’s wonderkids. Yet he is still just 20-years-old.

Barcelona’s money troubles have been well documented, and Fati is certainly one they might look to cash in on in the summer.

Pedri and Gavi’s rise over the last 18-months will allow them to do the unthinkable and sell “the next-Messi.” The Barcelona faithful would not be too critical of his departure due to their new heroes.

With his chequered recent history, Fati might have to accept that he has to rebuild his career away from his boyhood club. And potentially become a squad player in the short term. Arsenal could be a good bet for his next destination.

Fati is a versatile forward who started his career as a striker.

Two footed, he has played left, right and centre for Barcelona. This would make him the perfect Saka, whilst also providing that extra option behind Gabriel Jesus.

A 2019 profile by FourFourTwo magazine described him with the following words: “Standing at 5ft 10in, Fati boasts a powerful frame and brings a physical approach to the game which is often lacking among a technically gifted Barcelona side. Nevertheless, despite his robust physique, the La Masia graduate possesses outstanding dribbling skills which, when combined with his speed, makes him incredibly difficult to stop in one-on-one situations.”

The article also highlighted his eye for goal and ability in the air, as well as his vision and ability to control play from midfield.

Fati has the speed, acceleration, ambidexterity, low centre of gravity, and technical skills to make it in the Premier League. He has the intelligence and defensive work-rate to play in Arteta’s high press team.

He was once rated as an £80m player. Rumours are that he could be available for as little as £30m this summer.

Fati to Arsenal is certainly a deal to keep on eye on…

Keenos