Arsenal 1 – 0 MAN CITY – MY THOUGHTS
9 Apr
The end of our title aspirations and although it was perhaps not entirely unexpected, the most frustrating aspect was that it arrived with a whimper. Yet again away from home, there was a total lack of passion, intent and desire, culminating in another defeat and, even if not mathematically, it is realistically the end of our hopes of lifting the Premier League trophy.
That in itself needs putting into some sort of context. We are likely to finish second, possibly with a record points total for that position, and are assured of Champions League football next season. I, for one, would have taken that had it been offered at the start of the campaign, so although there is disappointment at finishing second having led the table for 28 games, perspective is needed.
However, that shouldn’t hide the fact this was another alarmingly lethargic display. With the exceptions of our commanding centre-backs, there was a total lack of fight, something that has been all too frequent in recent away fixtures. We’ve struggled in the past few months to score goals on the road and although we are not conceding too many, our inability to break sides down has been particularly worrying.
Obviously, much of the post-match attention has been focused on Mario Balotelli who was once again in the headlines. He was sent off in the 89th minute for a reckless, frustrated tackle that displayed a serious absence of self-control, but he ought to have been shown a red card early in the first half for a terribly dangerous challenge on Alex Song. The referee missed the incident so a retrospective ban is likely, but Balotelli doesn’t seem to be learning from previous mistakes: the element that most infuriates.
On a more upbeat note, Balotelli was our liveliest attacking option, holding up the ball well with his back to goal and showing his dribbling ability with a couple of mazy runs down the wing, but those glimpses of talent were overshadowed by his sending off. Whether his future lies with City, we will have to wait and see, but he needs to buckle down and make the most of his prodigious talent. At the moment, his volatile nature is coming to the fore far too often and he’s in danger of ruining what could be a great career.
The rest of our attack can praise Balotelli for removing the focus from themselves, with Samir Nasri, Sergio Aguero and James Milner particularly poor. The Argentine, in his defence, received such limited service, but Nasri was once again completely underwhelming. The only positives were the performances of our centre-back pairing, Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott, who gave us a solid foundation upon which the others failed to build.
Opposition view: Arsenal must be given credit for their display, a vibrant and lively performance that was deserving of the three points. Their wing play in particular stood out, with the likes of Bacary Sagna, Theo Walcott and Andre Santos impressive in the wide areas, and although they failed to make the breakthrough when on top early on, they persevered and Mikel Arteta’s strike secured the three points.
As for City, we now have a couple of days to recover before facing West Brom at home on Wednesday. Our title ambitions are over, but there are still six games to play and pride to fight for. In fact, with the pressure seemingly off, that might help the Blues rediscover the early season form which made us so enjoyable to watch. We can but hope.
Fair comment mate!
I just had a look at an Arsenal blog which came up on Man City’s newsnow feed. They’re virtually slitting their wrists over there, in spite of winning yesterday. Worried about their champions league place, criticizing Wenger, the board, fretting about RVP coming to us.
As a City fan, I’m like a pig in sh*t because we don’t have a relegation battle this year. We’re going to have our highest finish in my lifetime. Our owners have a trillion $US. We have a non-obvious squad of non-stars, and a no-bull manager with cool hair.
If Mancini gets the chop for coming 2nd (which isn’t likely, because we’re not Chelsea), his replacement will not be “of the bottle”, he will be “special one”.
Not sure which arsenal blog you read mate but almost all the gooners I know are happy to be in 3rd after the dreadful start to our season.
Nice well constructed balanced and thought out post… first opposition blog (of any club) that hasn’t come across as mindless and one-sided. Keep it up… you’re a pride to your club.
Why did Mancini wait until the eighty fourth minute to bring Tevez on?……Why was Kolorov brought on?…..Why does Aguero go missing in big games?
who wasnt missing yesterday?
Even as a Arsenal fan, I can’t understand why Tevez didn’t come on until very late in the game.
Whatever blog that was mate it’s certainly not one any self respecting arsenal fan would read. Certainly cannot imagine why any gooner would be of that disposition given that we are third now after a dreadful early season. As for the RVP thing, hand on heart there is not a solitary chance of that happening. RVP, unlike Nasri or Hleb before him has a strong sense of pride, dignity and has a deep love for the club (a dying attribute these days it saddens me to say). Very good article though blogger, rare to read something so dignified given the significance of yesterdays game.
Our team was piss poor. Makes you wonder what the f… are expected from Augero with 5.5 height with all those long balls!. If you plan to send long Balls, then you play Dezko. It is ironic whenever Dezko plays, there are no long balls and city tries to cut through the middle and whenever he does not play, long balls are pouring from all sides into opponents’ 18 box. Tevez is a low life that turned his back on City when he was needed most and Mancini’s decision not to utilize him from the start is very right one.
Mancini should be backed all along regardless of our position and Mario should be given another chance for another season with Guiddite in our senior team.
I give it to you mate,this is by far the best match analysis i have ever read in my whole internet life,cleary unbiased,fair and straight to the point,more power to your elbow…am an Arsenal fan btw.
My major differences between us now and us being a team that can overtake United.
1) We have no speedy wingers. We have Adam Johnson, who we never play, but he is a tricky winger, not a pacy winger. If we signed a player that even remotely resembled Gareth Bale we would be 3x more dangerous. Its great having Silva, Nasri, Milner but if they have no speed outlets what is the point? Its all so narrow
2) Our center backs hardly ever advance the ball. This is part of the reason for our slowwwwwwww play. Our centerbacks hardly ever advance the ball into the gaps past the opposing strikers. Uniteds CBs get forward when they can, giving the team an extra push forward, while we pass the ball sideways for 60 min every game.
Spot on, Two pacy wingers who can deliver proper crosses and Dezko as target man provides an excellent alternative to existing style of play of cutting through the middle esp when the opponent closes down the game. Just take a look how Adabyor is benefiting from this style of play in Spurs bearing in mind Dezko is 10 times better if he is given proper service.
It would be interesting to see the evidence that Dzeko is as a good as, never mind 10 times better than Adebayor. I imagine with Tevez, Ade and Aguero leading the front line we would have been pretty much unstoppable. Also I have to ask – if Kolarov is the answer on 70 mins – WTF is the question? Finally Bobby Manc has messed around with the full backs all season and his bizarre selection policy has cost us at least two trophies this season if not more. He got it badly wrong on all fronts I’m afraid and has to be moved on.
You see the evidence if gets service much like Adabayor who went barren last season but in Spurs he is flourishing due to their style of play
Tevez must be sold in the summer it was already a stupid idea to bring him back after a 6 month holiday and tevez is not beneficial to the team
tod you don’t know anything, tevez gave everything to this team, before he was here mcity was nothing, probably you didt even watch the games, he was top scorer and that was before they bring better players, he was alone and he gave you tickets to every cup there is, now you even are favorites to win things… oh sorry you forgot how he changed things for good.
For f****s sake when are you lot gonna realize money don’t buy success
just contempt
Yes, it does and if you are dumb enough not to know professional soccer is all about money, then you should consider being called a dumb as a compliment. I was not aware that in Arsenal they run the club spiritually by praying the Lord.
Is that why Wenger is by far the highest paid manager at over 8M Quid a year ? Are you lot not indirectly trying to “buy” success…. another jealous gooner
Firstly, fair opinion on the game arsenal fully deserved all three. I think the scoreline was flattering for us. I understand mancini’s issue with bringing tevez on. But, considering the situation I think he should have got tevez and dzeko on in the 60th for Balotelli and aguero. I love balo on the field at times, but yesterday looked like a game he wasnt interested in playing. Seems to be when he’s forced to defend he gets irritated because he’s so poor at it. Constantly misjudging tackles. As far as getting dzeko goin, I think if we got someone like hazard in the offseason it would make a world of difference. Genuinely pacey winger with a great cross and an eye for goal. Mancini got his tactics wrong yesterday plain and simple. Hopefully with the pressure off us for winning the title we can get back to playing some good footy. Getting real sick of watching the city side from 2 seasons ago struggling to scrape draws with mediocre teams and looking outclassed by the likes of arsenal.
“Getting real sick of watching the city side from 2 seasons ago struggling to scrape draws with mediocre teams and looking outclassed by the likes of arsenal”
Obviously you enjoyed the 80′s 90′s year 2000′s a great deal. One of the issues at the Etihad and why it is a terrible atmosphere is twunts like you. Get real excellent season just that the rags are still better at this than us. Another year so what. For some this has been a lifetime obviously not for you.
Mate grow up. We support the same side you know? I live in new Zealand and I get up at 3am and the likes every weekend to support OUR team. Just cos you’re older as have been supporting longer doesn’t make you more of a fan. I was merely commenting that over the past 6-7 weeks we’ve looked like the side mark Hughes was managing.
Anyways I won’t go on to insult you as you have me. Since I understand that all of us fans have the right to an opinion and don’t deserve to be called a “twunt” for having one..
Mancini will be sacked, marked my words. His man – management lost us the game too yesterday. I know Sergio had not done much but it was obvious from the 20th minute when Mario got his first yellow card that he wad walking a tight rope – he should have been taken off, but no, because he’s Mancini’s friend. Tevez should have been on at half time for him. Back 4 i thought played well, but midfield missing completely. However, Pizaroo did doo well for 20 minutes when he came on!
p.s typo – andre santos, not sandos
i knew that balotelli would mess it up. mancin must from now play with aguero and dzeko up front.i happy that nmario wont play anymore. bad for city wheen he plays.
good review Mr ViewfromaBlue
it’s right to give credit to arsenal for their performance, and also to point out the frustrating showing of the likes of milner and nasri particularly when they broke with a lot of space in front of them.
you point out balo’s foul on song and he’ll no doubt get banned (unlike rooney for his challenge early on v QPR which will be conveniently ignored). but you should also point out that yaya toure was forced off because of the nasty foul by song that did not see a booking but was much worse than the one toure made on rosicky, which left the czech theatrically demanding punishment. that was a pivotal moment in the game
Alot has been written about Super Mario’s game.For atleast the last two games he seemed to have lost the plot -in btween the matches he also had a car crash- after a “not so good ” first half Mancini should have taken him off a}remembering who the ref was b}a change of tactics. Could it be favourtism -if so it does no good towards the other players esp ED. Re: Carlo. Why is he sitting on the bench and playing 15-20 minutes is there to o much pride to be lost to play him a full half?
Yaya . for a professional with such a pedigree how on earth do you get a yellow inside 2 minutes from the start ? Too much frustation was out there on the pitch.
Kompany you deserve so much more ,I only hope it will be with City.
CTID
i just want it to say, that mc was a middle class team before tevez went there, and now you guys are fighting championships, cups, etc.. i really feel bad for everything that he had to go through over there, or did you guys forget how many goals he made, how he fought for a title? he is now forgotten and even treated as dirt. i just had to say it, it not everyone, but half a city burned his shirt.
You do know 10 other players are on the field with Tevez right? Or are you that blinded by the goalscorers?
he brought attitude to the others, im not saying they sucked but they needed that kick to their play, they needed someone to make a difference.
And you forgot to mention that he was paid and still being paid handsomely for his services to the extend that no club in the world can match it!
im saying what he gave you as a fan, remember when was the last time you celebrated something before he was brought here? there was definitely a before and after in manchester city.