Match Review: Arsenal 1 Man City 1 - Premier League - 29.03.14

After two very damaging results in the last week, the visit of Man City to the Emirates was not one many were keen on. Given our performance in the ‘big’ games this season, you could forgive most fans for being more than a little pessimistic about our prospects of getting a result. However, the team dug in and produced a much improved performance. I’d have bitten your arm off for a point at the start of the game, so all in all I’m pretty happy with what the team achieved.

Arsenal made one change from the draw against Swansea, with Lukas Podolski replacing Oxlade-Chamberlain. It was immediately evident that City were going to focus on attacking our left hand side, with both Jesus Navas and Zabaleta bombing forward. Silva’s movement between the lines was causing problems and he nearly broke through early on, but his pull back was blocked and Navas curled his follow up wide. Both sides were getting forward, with Santi Cazorla almost getting through on goal in the fourth minute and then we had a shout for a penalty, when Rosicky went down under a challenge from Zabaleta. Replays seem to show our Tommy went down more than a little easily, so we’ll draw a line under it and move on quickly.

However, our encouraging start was being tempered by City’s threat down our left side, as Gibbs and Podolski struggled to deal with the pace and movement. But our undoing, came not from failing to deal with the left hand side, but from giving the ball away in the opponent’s half. De ja vu. Podolski was the culprit this time, with a poor touch that allowed Silva to win the ball and go sprinting forward on the counter attack. Silva played a very good ball into Dzeko, who smashed the ball against the post, but the rebound fell almost exactly onto Silva’s foot and the ball dribbled in. Another goal from our own mistake and another fairly early goal against one of the big sides.

To be honest, our performance up to that point had been pretty good, with a lot more energy and commitment than the last two games and we didn't really deserve to be 1-0 down. We had the ball in the net a few minutes after the goal, but Flamini was offside before he diverted the ball in. We just couldn’t find a decent opening, out movement wasn’t as sharp or quick as City’s. Overall, we were playing well but City didn’t look in trouble at any point in the first half.

We were in desperate need of a reaction in the second half. Being on the end of yet another defeat ahead of a massive trip away to Everton would have been awful, so a performance was needed just from a confidence perspective. We needed an early goal and thankfully we got one. We initially attacked down the right and then worked the ball back across the box, before Gibbs played the ball to Podolski. The German whipped the ball into the box and found the unlikely Flamini in the box. Having scored an own goal at the same end in the week, Flamini did very well to turn the ball home to draw us level and put us right back in the game.

 The goal made a huge difference to the team and the fans, as the noise rose in the Emirates. We suddenly seemed to have the momentum and desire to push on and find another goal and we came very close to that too. A shot from the edge of the area deflected off a City player to Podolski, with just the keeper to beat, but his effort was saved by Joe Hart. It was our big chance to win the game and unfortunately, the perfect man to take that chance couldn’t convert. It was probably the best chance for either team in the whole second half, the only other close call being when a mix up in the Arsenal box, almost led to Yaya Toure rounding Szczesny, but he was forced wide and his cutback was blocked brilliantly by Arteta.

I think most Arsenal fans will be happy with the point, it’s more than we expected and the only disappointment would be that we didn’t take our big chance to win it. With Everton beating Fulham, it makes our game at Goodison Park a must win. With Everton still possessing a game in hand (at home to Crystal Palace), we simply have to put daylight between us an them. We can’t be relying on them to slip up for us to just finish fourth. Failing to finish fourth would be a failure that couldn’t even be glossed over with an FA Cup triumph. I’m confident we’ll do it, but there shouldn’t be doubt at this point. Let’s get behind the team and back them to finish strong.

Teams

Arsenal (4-2-3-1)
Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Flamini, Arteta, Podolski (Chamberlain 79’), Cazorla, Rosicky (Y), Giroud (Sanogo 85’)
Subs
Fabianski, Jenkinson, Chamberlain, Sanogo, Gnabry, Bellerin, Kallstrom

Man City (4-2-3-1)
Hart, Zabaleta, Demichelis, Kompany (Y), Clichy, Toure (Y), Fernandinho, Nasri (Garcia 81’), Silva (Y), Navas (Milner 70’), Dzeko (Negredo 85’)
Subs
Pantillimon, Lescott, Milner, Negredo, Kolarov, Garcia, Jovetic

Player Ratings

Szczesny - 6/10 - Pretty much had nothing to do, couldn’t do anything for the goal
Sagna - 7/10 - A typically solid performance from the experienced defender
Mertesacker - 7/10 - Very solid as usual
Vermaelen - 7/10 - Much improved from midweek, dominated Dzeko for most of the game
Gibbs - 7/10 - Left a bit isolated at times, had a very difficult job against Navas and Silva
Flamini - 8/10 - A sterling performance and a very important goal
Arteta - 7/10 - Love this man, saved us from conceding with the Toure chance
Podolski - 6/10 - Little bit of a mixed performance, a mistake but also an assist
Cazorla - 7/10 - Really good, busy performance, did his best to cause problems for City
Rosicky - 7/10 - Typically committed performance, what a player
Giroud - 7/10 - Does a lot of dirty work, gets abused for it unfairly
Subs
Chamberlain - 6/10 - Rightly dropped, but might have been better to throw him on earlier
Sanogo - N/A

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