Arsenal 0 – 0 MAN CITY – MY THOUGHTS
6 Jan
Objective achieved. Roberto Mancini set up his side to return to Manchester with a share of the spoils and that is precisely what happened. Yes, it wasn’t the most exhilarating affair and at times, most notably in the first half, we were just about hanging on, but the target was successfully attained.
How Arsenal didn’t score in the opening twenty minutes, I will never know, as they continually sliced open our defence, leaving us to rely on the brilliance of Joe Hart and the sturdiness of the woodwork to stay in the game. But however negative our tactics were, please note this fact: City have kept clean sheets this season against Tottenham, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Man United. Not many sides will be able to boast that achievement.
With regards to team selection, Mancini dropped one of his infamous bombshells, making five changes, only two of which were enforced. Three quarters of the defence were different from the Blackpool game, with only Vincent Kompany retaining his place. The most surprising change saw the selection of Brazilian striker Jo, who was preferred instead of Adam Johnson, in support of Carlos Tévez.
The home side started like a house on fire, their attacking football and quick tempo causing us all sorts of problems. The majestic triumvirate of Cesc Fabregas, Robin Van Persie and Theo Walcott all struck the woodwork as City hung on by the skin of their teeth. We were in danger of being blown away by a red and white thunderstorm, but somehow we clung on and started to come into the game more, a Carlos Tévez snap shot proving the zenith of our attacking endeavours.
Our defensive tactics were evident for all to see, and despite its soporific nature, it was doing a sterling job. Kompany was a man mountain at the back, along with the recalled Kolo Touré who was facing his former club. Arsenal kept on pushing in the second half but a Robin Van Persie shot aside, the Gunners’ threat was diminishing.
As the game was coming to a satisfactory close, referee Mike Jones made a rather controversial decision which, although not impacting greatly on the match, will cause headlines. An innocuous challenge between Pablo Zabaleta and Bacary Sagna saw the pair square up to each other. The Frenchman clearly leaned his head towards Pablo and rightly received a red card. However, Zabaleta also received the same punishment despite not making any movement with his head. City will surely appeal the decision, otherwise the Argentine will miss three matches.
The final whistle did come as a relief to City, but a point, although we were under the cosh for the majority of the time, was the objective and it was achieved. Onwards we march.
The point you make about keeping clean sheets against Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea and United is true, but excluding the Liverpool game as they are no way near as good as in previous years, City have played 5 games in total against Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs and United and have only scored once. Are you not worried about a lack of goals despite the strong defense?
I’m not worried by our supposed lack of goals as we have actually scored 2 more than Spurs, who are made out by the media to be the most attacking side in the history of the Premier League. Unbeaten in 5 matches against the sides listed above, with 9 points from those games, I would take that every day.
As an Arsenal fan, we’ve only got ourselves to blame for not scoring, but honestly, how you could set out with such negativity, time wasting in the first half, and go back to Manchester with any self-respect I have no idea. Jo was a Joke, in particular, as well as the otherwise excellent Hart’s deliberate slowness.
Fair enough, you got what you came for, perhaps somewhat fortuitously, but you won’t win yourself any titles or admirers playing like that.
I’m an Arsenal fan so yes I was a little dissapointed with the result. But I’m more dissapointed with your approach to the game. Everyone knows Arsenal are likely to concede if pressurised. It seems to me in the second half you probably could have won if you’d tried a bit harder. The same happened ahgainst Man Utd, they were there for the taking if you could have tried a bit harder. You won’t win the league playing totally negative football, though you will probably make the top 4. If that is the limit of your ambition fair enough.
As Joe Hart put it brilliantly, the goal does not change size and it is not that they are unlucky and we are lucky. Simply they were not able to put the ball in. And even if we consider ourselves lucky, Arsenal fans should know that much of football is about managing luck and the hand you have been dealt with and making most of it. Mancini is definitely doing a great job in this regard.
Though not trying to get into pissing match with regard to Yaya, I believe he had a far better game than Milner. But I guess we all should agree to disagree
A very gutless performance by man city, 10 men behind the ball. Time wasting tactics, you can even call it anti football as you had no intention of winning the game. It’s a very expensive bus you brought to the emirates, all that money to play negative, these are the games professional footballers live for, but to play like city did was an embarrassment!
The shame is that Mancini ‘parked a bus’ after the club spent a reported £170m.
The abhorrent time wasting and stopping the game by pretending to be injured warrants Man City many slurs. Italian football, no thank you.
actually the game was stopped more often by ARSENAL players going down “injured”
I just woke up!
I agree that we got what we wanted from the match, which is good on paper, but let’s be honest, it was not good football to watch. The way that arsenal started, allowing the game to be stretched if we pushed, should have led to a goal-fest, an advert for the premier league even. But what we got was another drab affair involving city. Where’s Mancini’s ambition? No-one would have complained had we lost to arsenal at the emirates…
Bring back Keegan (that part’s a joke)
The performance by city not only unambitious it handed man utd a great boost in the title race, which as a city fan is unbelievable if the display last night was how we intend to approach all big games then what’s the point in going. I’m football fan and if we can not play football then we are a joke. We have spent 300m and yet we churn out performances like that? I was ashamed to be a city fan yesterday it was nothing to be proud of. Not if you love football!!
You Gooners are only disappointed we didn’t hand you the match. What did you expect with our best playmaker missing. You’d have settled for a draw against Stetford, but you tried to impose your style on them and lost. Marvellous!. And as for saying Jo is a joke. Well your forwards couldn’t score could they and you had the ball all night!!?11 No you are sore that against a full team you were bobbins. Goalkeeper – Rubbish, back four sluggish, midfield thuggish forwards non-existent. Have you tried spending?
When you spend as much a City have you can’t complain about missing players you have waived that right. If I were a City fan I would be furious with that performance. WEolves showed more attacking ambition last night.
So we get a few Arsenal fans on here spouting off about how we should be embarassed by our performance due to the amount of money we’ve spent, (And Arsenal’s players came through the youth ranks did they?) and how we’ll win nothing playing like that. The basic facts are that on a good day Arsenal,(who apart from a player or two they have been playing together for years) can make most of the teams in europe look pedestrian when playing at home with a point to prove. We went there with a job to do with a weakened team, (we had to play Jo for god’s sake) and whether Arsenal or the rest of the Sky 4 obsessed media don’t like the way we did it I could not care less. We will qualify for the Champions League this year and we will develop as a team, and in years to come we will go to places like Arsenal and win convincingly. Arsenal and cretins like Andy Gray and his hairy handed mate can bemoan the fact on how Arsenal were the much better team, but for all the hollow talk the fact is Arsenal have won nothing for 6 years whilst playing like that. They are just a cardboard cut out of Barcelona and will probably win nothing this year either. CTID
We will win the Carling Cup. Mancini has no belief in your squad he has admited by saying how either Arsenal, Chelsea, United or Tottenham will win the league.
Arsenal have won nothing for 6 years..Citeh have won nothing for a far far longer period ..and if the can only manage 1 shot on goal during a game, then for all the money they have spent they will still alot longer for silverware
Professional soccer is all about result, not entertainment. City’s objective is to be in top 4.Mancini’s plan for Arsenal game was to get at least 1 point. Mission accomplished. The issue with Arsenal fans here is not about their love for City or how city plays. The real issue is City dented their hope for title while we furthered ours toward our objective.
A message to the all the ‘Diamond Geezers’ on a Man City forum. We may not have won for a trophy for more than a while but the fact is we will soon be winning them on a regular basis and probably beating you whilst doing it.
Mourinho’s style of football may not have been to your obvious cultured liking but how many trophies did he win while he was here. You keep playing the beautiful game whilst losing around 8 or 9 games a season whilst winning sod all. Moral highground, you can stick it up your Arsenal!
As an Arsenal supporter, I am sympathetic to the points made by some fellow supporters. But, cannot ignore the point ViewBlue makes (6:18pm). 9 points from 5 games with the top teams is a steller return. My armchair calculation has Arsenal at 7 from one more game. In any case, the teams have different approaches and priorities. To each their own.
We wuld have won with Kolarov….just saying
As a United fan, it was interesting to watch our most likely challengers go head to head. Yet because Bobby Manc decided yet again to be stubborn and tactical, we had to endure another drab affair where City hung on for dear life and made extremely rare forays into the opposition half. Was a repeat performance of the United, Chelsea and Spurs game. Like the Spurs game which kicked off the season, City were completely outplayed, with the brilliance of Joe Hart and the woodwork saving City’s bacon.
As for you waxing lyrical over Kompany again ( protected thoroughly by two Dms De Jong and Barry), didn’t he have a blatant handball in his own box, which was conveniently ignored by the ref?! Walcott was livid and it just goes to show that not all the decisions go Uniteds way and that other teams do benefit from referee inadequacies! Walcott himself admitted to diving to get the penalty today!
It was interesting to see Leeds today with their approach. Yes they defended relatively well under huge yet similar pressure, yet they counter-attacked with purpose and far more penetration. Becchio and Snodgrass had more shots on target than City did all night!!!
Finally, I’m very intrigued as to how Bobby Manc will accomodate Dzeko into his plans. He cannot play all three quality strikers at his disposal ( Balotelli, Tevez and Dzeko), simultaneously, especially if he plays one up top in the big games.
All three have massive egos and won’t want to miss out on games.
Balotelli has quoted as wanting to win the Ballon D’or in the next couple of years at City and also being the 2nd best player in the world (Lmao!!)….. I don’t see that happening somehow despite his enormous potential!