1) Wenger’s side look well placed for title charge
“Looking forward to watching the battle for second place,” tweeted Gary Lineker prior to kick-off and few can blame the Match of the Day presenter for revelling in the incredible form being shown by Leicester, the club he once played for and has supported all his life. As it transpired, Arsenal won the aforementioned battle with a display that combined attacking ruthlessness with defensive discipline and, in those final frantic stages after Yaya Touré had pulled one back for City, good old-fashioned luck. Arsène Wenger’s side now sit two points behind Leicester and having won a crucial encounter, will fancy picking up points in their next three games – against Southampton, Bournemouth and Newcastle. If they do so then, for all of Leicester’s brilliance, you’d have to fancy Arsenal being the ones in pole position when the sides go head-to-head at the Emirates on 13 February.
2) City are shaky in defence and blunt up front
For Manchester City the sense of deja vu must have been inescapable. They had the lion’s share of possession and territory but were ultimately undone by an Arsenal side that was ruthless on the counterattack – just as had been the case when Wenger’s side won at the Etihad in January. The problems were also familiar – Touré failing to cover ground and press the opposition and Eliaquim Mangala being, well, Eliaquim Mangala. It’s been said plenty of times before, but Vincent Kompany’s return to fitness cannot come quick enough for this team. They could also do with Sergio Agüero getting up to speed as quickly as possible. The Argentinian played for 63 minutes on his return from a heel injury and looked suitably rusty. City looked absurdly blunt for a club of their resources and were on course to make it four successive away league matches without a goal for the first time since February 2006 before Touré’s sublime side-footed finish. That and everything else that went badly for City here reflects poorly on Manuel Pellegrini at a time when, yet again, his long-term job prospects are being questioned openly.
3) Ramsey shows appetite for dirty work in centre
“He comes alive when he plays through the middle.” So said Arsène Wenger of Aaron Ramsey in his programme notes and there is no doubt the Welshman is enjoying his time in the centre of midfield, seen no better than in the 2-0 win at Aston Villa when he started and ended a wonderful breakaway goal by the visitors. The major concern regarding Ramsey’s suitability for the position is his lack of defensive discipline but here he rarely strayed far from Mathieu Flamini’s side when City were on the prowl and even made the odd crunching tackle, such as one on David Silva in the 29th minute. When Arsenal had possession, the 24-year-old was willing and able to get forward, surging into the area on the hour to force a fine block from Joe Hart. It was another more-than-encouraging central display by Ramsey and a reminder to Francis Coquelin and Santi Cazorla that they face competition for their places once they are back from injury.
4) Guardiola and Arsenal could be a perfect fit
Pep Guardiola is leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the season and, if the rumour mill is to be believed, has all but agreed to take over at City. The Spaniard has also been linked with Manchester United and Chelsea, but what about Arsenal? Wenger’s contract with the club runs until May 2017 but with Guardiola available would it not make sense for he and the Arsenal board to consider making a managerial change 12 months early to take advantage of an opportunity that may not come up again? Certainly this match was a reminder of how well suited Guardiola and Arsenal appear to be – a team designed to excite, who operate in a stunning arena and with the near certainty of competing in the Champions League next season. Walking away early would be Wenger’s call and if he decided to stay, then City would be no bad option for Guardiola, but Arsenal must interest him.
5) Fan gesture should be only the beginning
Manchester City’s supporters packed the away section here, which was no major surprise, but it’s possible that many decided to make the trip down south at a typically expensive time of the year because of their club’s offer of cutting the price of tickets in half. All “seasoncard” holders benefited from the show of pre-Christmas goodwill which meant that instead of paying £64 to enter this venue, they paid £32. City should be applauded for providing the subsidy, as should every other club that does something to ease the financial burden on those who follow their team, because it is an outrage that it costs as much as it does to watch live football in this country. That is why, heading into 2016, the Football Supporters’ Federation’s Twenty’s Plenty campaign, which seeks to have all away tickets capped at £20, must remain a live and increasingly well-backed issue.
