Full-time: Arsenal 2-2 Manchester City
Peep! And that’s that. A draw is a fair result. Both teams looked tired and flaky and neither did enough to win that game. I suspect Arsenal will be happier having stopped the rot and scored a couple of goals that should give them just a little bit of confidence despite the defensive deficiencies. Arsène Wenger will still feel the heat from his detractors but there was nothing too vocal for him to contend with from the home crowd today. As for City, they need to sharpen up before Chelsea on Wednesday. Spurs, Liverpool and Manchester United fans will have enjoyed that result. Thanks for your emails. Bye.
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90+2 min: Arsenal get pinned in in the right-back position. They clear half-heartedly and City work the ball over to the right. Navas cuts into the box and clips the ball over Monreal before making an appeal for handball. It was clumsy and really did seem like it struck his flailing arm. Arsenal appear to have been lucky to get away with that there.
90 min: Arsenal win a free-kick on the right, 30 yards out by the touchline. Ozil swings it in to the back post were absolutely no Arsenal players are stationed. Textbook lads.
89 min: It’s end to end in a weird, tired kind of way. Navas has a shot at goal from 20 yards out on the right that never had any conviction about it. And Silva is off and Zabaleta is on.
87 min: Iwobi slams a shot over after a sweeping Arsenal attack that actually began with Sanchez slipping in the Arsenal half and almost letting City in on goal. The upshot was that Arsenal were able to counter and Iwobi had a shy from 15 yards on the inside-right channel just inside the City penalty area.
86 min: Caballero passes the ball straight out of play with Giroud bearing down on him. Arsenal push men forwards and now it’s their turn to attack.
84 min: Silva drags a shot wide from 20 yards after Touré neatly pulled the ball back to him on the edge of the box. A moment later, De Bruyne clatters a shot off an Arsenal defender and that head of steam I thought Arsenal were building, is pretty much blown away in a strong gust of attacking play from City.
82 min: De Bruyne is incensed after being fouled. He waves an imaginary card around. Come on now. Stay classy. Meanwhile, Arsenal are building up a head of steam. Well, OK, that’s pushing it. But they’re on top at the moment. “From a neutral perspective, both teams here are doing a ruddy good job of inspiring Tottenham - anything less than a win for Arsenal surely derails St Tottering’s day, and anything less than a win for City leaves them three points shy of Spurs. Could it be a two horse race for the title after the final whistle blows?” wonders Matt Kingscote. Two-horse? There’s only one horse in town isn’t there, despite the stumble yesterday.
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79 min: Otamendi gifts a chance to Ozil after, bizarrely, choosing not to head a long ball clear and instead sidefoot it towards Stones only to present it at Ozil’s feet beside him. Ozil takes a touch and – when confronted with Caballero – hesitates and then takes a heavy touch past him and out of play. If he’s been sharper in both body and mind he could have stabbed that at goal first time.
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78 min: There’s a feeling to this game now that both sides might be happy with a point. Neither side are going for it like they were just before and just after half-time. Or maybe they’re both knackered. The pace has certainly dropped.
77 min: City win a corner on the left. It’s played short to De Bruyne. he gives it back to Silva, who tries to find Fernandinho on the edge of the box only to see it cut out.
76 min: Iwobi is on for Welbeck. He races on looking a little lost as to where he should go. I hope, for his sake, that’s not a sign of things to come.
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75 min: Navas floats a ball over the Arsenal defence towards Agüero but Ospina is off his line quick-sharp to clutch the ball and quell the danger.
73 min: City are bossing things in midfield again. It’s a slower paced approach but Arsenal aren’t getting a sniff. Pass, pass, pass, pass, pass. Sané has a go at getting in behind but he’s forced back and then Fernandinho, who has been a greater creative force today then I’ve ever judged him to be, tries to slip in Agüero only for Mustafi to rush in and clear the danger. City are back in possession though.
71 min: “In honour of #Wrestlemania will Giroud be the late locker room run-in who cleans house and saves the day?” asks Hubert O’Hearn. Erm, no.
68 min: Touré rolls back the years and swerves inside a challenge on the edge of the box before slipping the ball towards Sane on the left only for Bellerin to nip in and take it off his foot. Touré has slowed things down in City’s midfield since his arrival. Such a towering player in his pomp. He’ll score the winner now won’t he?
66 min: There are videos swirling around social media of Arsenal fans fighting among themselves at the Emirates. Grown adults. Deary me.
65 min: Agüero heads at goal but there was no pace on the ball and it was never bothering Ospina. Meanwhile, Giroud is on for Walcott, who has a face-on as he trudges off.
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63 min: Mustafi plays a pass through a hole in the Manchester City defence that you could drive a Sherpa tank through. Welbeck doesn’t quite bring it under his spell and City escape. This is such a strange game. Both sides a utterly unconvincing at the back.
61 min: A tweet.
@GreggBakowski You can't count goals from corners conceded by Arsenal or Manchester City. They're both statistically deviant.
— Darren (@TheViewFromA1) April 2, 2017
59 min: Xhaka is lucky to be on the pitch. In the buildup to that City chance he clattered into Touré with a dire challenge, catching the Ivorian’s back leg. He could have done him harm but Touré doesn’t make much of it. He should be grateful to him for that. Even Paul Scholes would have been embarrassed by that technique.
57 min: Well, that has opened things up somewhat. City are back at it immediately. they play a number of sharp passes through midfield to work their way into the Arsenal half. The ball is then worked wide to Navas, who fizzes a ball into the box that Arsenal do well to clear. Fernandinho controls the ball on his chest and lashes a shot at the bottom corner that Ospina does well to parry with strong hands. A moment later he takes a dig in the ribs as a cross comes into the box and that’s a free-kick and some breathing room.
54 min: Arsenal have Monreal to thank for creating the corner. His whipped-in delivery from the left forced Otamendi to head wide. The resulting corner was swung out to the edge of the six-yard box, where Mustafi beat Otamendi to the jump and guided the ball down into the far corner expertly. It was a great header. It was a goal off a corner. It was one in the eye for the 96.8% of corners that lead to nothing.
Goal! Arsenal 2-2 Man City (Mustafi 54)
A goal from a corner!
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51 min: Fernandinho plays a ball in behind Sanchez, who is in his own postcode, such is the space afforded him. He takes one touch and drills in a cross to the near-post that slams into Aguero’s forehead and wide. It was far too pacey for Aguero to control.
50 min: Sane is some player. He oozes calm. And he’s so young. He knows when to put his foot on the accelerator and when not to. Something young English players would be mindful to be aware of. He forces throw-in from Mustafi, who has had a torrid game so far.
48 min: “There used to be a Paul Whitehouse Radio 4 spoof radio call-in show which included a character whose only line, endlessly repeated, was “what is point?”. You sense that he might have been an Arsenal supporter,” writes Charles Antaki.
46 min: Navas appears to be staying at right-back. Hope for Arsenal then. Touré plays a loose pass and forces Fernandinho into a cycnical foul on Sanchez. He’s booked and Arsenal get a free-kick midway inside the City half. Touré was shedding rust in his first few creaky movements there. You could pretty much see the flakes coming off him. The Arsenal free-kick is cleared easily by the way.
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Peep!
45 min: It’s the second half. Here we go then.
Gabriel has come on for Koscielny in the second half. I’m presuming that’s an enforced change and not a tactical one. I mentioned before that Kompany is on the City bench. Could they use him or is that just a wasted substitution. Oh, Sterling is off and Touré is on. Pace for pace then. Ahem.
Half-time: Arsenal 1-2 Man City
Neither team can defend. There are loads more goals in this. That Manchester City experiment with Navas at right-back pretty much guarantees it. Come back in a bit to see how right I am.
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45 min: Sanchez dances Navas into a stupor on the left flank before dinking a delicious ball in to Walcott on the edge of the box. He takes a touch and stabs a shot at goal that misses narrowly, grazing the top-netting. If he’d had a little more zen about him he could have let that drop a little further before he struck it. There are more goals in this, you’ll be glad to hear.
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44 min: Both these defences are holier than a piece of cartoon cheese. Otamendi does his thing and races out to challenge for a ball on the halfway line, losing out to Welbeck, who has a clear run on goal, only to be let off as the striker handles the ball on the turn.
Goal! Arsenal 1-2 Man City (Agüero 42)
Ah, so that didn’t last long. How very Arsenal. City race forwards from kick-off as though affronted. De Bruyne clatters a post with a shot and then from the rebound he plays a one-two with Silva and then a clearance and a razor sharp David Silva pass later the ball is at Agüero’s feet in the box on the right hand side. His eyes light up. He loves this kind of chance. His shot is arrowed into the bottom corner. Advantage City (again).
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Goal! Arsenal 1-1 Man City (Walcott 40)
Arsenal win a corner on the left and play it short. It’s then drifted in and cleared. Everyone but Clichy races out and as Mustafi heads the ball back into the box the City defender faces a three on one battle. Walcott picks up possession and stabs homer. Game on.
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38 min: Stones gets his head to said corner but it drifts wide. This hasn’t really got going. The goal – and what preceded it – was as good as it got.
36 min: Arsenal win another free-kick. This time it is on the right touchline in a great position to drop it into the six-yard box. Ozil whips it but the first man rises and clears. They haven’t got their deliveries right at all so far. City break and win a corner themselves …
34 min: Sterling dangles a leg out at Sanchez, who tumbles over it. A free-kick 25 yards out on the left. Sanchez bends it in and over everyone. He was looking for someone on the back post. They must have been on long wave, while Sanchez was on short wave.
33 min: Xhaka earns his customary booking for sliding into Otamendi’s right ankle. He shakes his head. He should scratch his brass neck too.
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30 min: Arsenal are clearly targeting Navas in the right-back position. So many of their passes are being drifted in behind the little Spaniard. Fernandinho gets him out of trouble as Welbeck picks up the ball behind him, sliding in and getting a foot to the ball in what could quite easily have been a mistimed tackle and penalty. Moments later, Sanchez drops a shoulder and sends a curler way up and over the City goal.
27 min: Theo Walcott is lucky to get away with an errant stamp on Sterling’s boot. It appears that Marriner didn’t see it. Sterling clearly felt it though and irately tells the referee how much it stung.
25 min: De Bruyne wastes what is a great chance of a counter-attack for City by sending Sterling out too wide to the right when a more central ball could have put him through on goal. Sterling is caught by Koscielny, who then does a fine job of shepherding him away from goal and blocking his attempted cross.
22 min: A good spell for Arsenal here. Walcott forces a sharp interception out of Stones as he drives a ball into the box from the right in search of Welbeck. And then Monreal picks up the rebound and canons the ball off a defender for a corner. It’s a deep, outswinger that is cleared as far as Monreal, who laces a shot over the bar that may end up in Leytonstone if it continues on its trajectory.
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21 min: Sanchez stabs a pass through to Ozil inside the box. He’s surprised to find Stones standing off him so swivels and shoots straight at Caballero from eight yards out. That was another sign that there are goals here for Arsenal if they want them.
19 min: City win a corner. Does anything come of it? Having investigated that particular set piece recently and found out that only 3.2% of them lead to a goal, you can probably guess that the answer is no.
17 min: Navas rampages forwards from his right-back position like a pound-shop Dani Alves before turning and laying the ball off to Sterling. He must quite like being able to pass off the responsibility to do something to someone else. Sterling gets tangled up with Sanchez and the Chilean wins that particular battle of small, strong men.
16 min: David Hopkins brings the politics: “Say what you like about the No New Contractors (no please, do) but might there commitment to actually doing something be an example to another ‘political leader’ residing in Islington?”
14 min: Coquelin does a fine impression of his midfield partner Xhaka and sends Silva pirouetting through the air. A clear booking. And then De Bruyne shoves Welbeck to the deck and Arsenal have a free-kick midway inside City’s half. Ozil swings it in but City deal with the danger. It’s all a bit scrappy suddenly.
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12 min: Arsenal are showing a bit of grit in midfield. They’re popping the ball around with vigour in midfield and have snapped into a couple of tackles too. City are soaking it all up quite comfortably though.
9 min: De Bruyne rattles a post with a shot from the edge of the area and then Silva stings Ospina’s palms with the follow-up. Someone needs to give this Arsenal team a shake.
8 min: I expect the mood among Arsenal fans is just wonderful at the moment. Mind you, a minute before that goal Welbeck turned Otamendi and shot just wide in what was a sign that City have their own deficiencies should Arsenal play well enough to expose them.
6 min: Both defences have looked loose. It was a long ball from Caballero that Mustafi rushed out to head clear that caused the huge hole to open up in the Arsenal defence. The ball landed at De Bruyne’s feet and his pass, 40 yards forwards was inch-perfect, sending Sane racing off into the inside-left channel. Sane threw one dummy to sit Bellerin on the floor before dinking the ball past Ospina and rolling it home with class. A lovely finish but hugely naive defending.
Goal! Arsenal 0-1 Manchester City (Sane 5)
Well, that didn’t take long.
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3 min: Clicky rolls the ball in behind Mustafi but Agüero is half a yard offside. Danger signs for Arsenal there though. And moments later Fernandinho zips a low pass through the gap between Monreal and Koscielny for Sterling to run on to but Ospina does well to smother him and the deflection bounces away to safety.
2 min: Arsenal win a free-kick after Navas sticks a sly boot in and gives away a free-kick with Arsenal midway inside City’s half. Ozil floats the ball to the back post but it’s not bothering anyone.
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Peep!
1 min: We’re off. Arsenal, in red, are shooting from left to right on my screen. City, in black with bright yellow socks, are going the other way. Why not sky blue? Modern football, that’s why.
Right, it’s time for football!
The teams emerge from the tunnel at the Emirates Stadium to a so-so reception. And while there may be dark clouds hovering over the Emirates in a metaphorical sense there aren’t any in the meteorological one. What a lovely spring day in north London it is.
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@GreggBakowski If Arsene leaves, I truly hope he ends his last press conference in the David Cameron style: https://t.co/dVIfhv3w8w
— Hubert O'Hearn (@BTBReviews) April 2, 2017
I haven’t seen much of Jesus Navas this season but having seen quite a bit more of him last season I was left wondering what the point of a Jesus Navas was? Is this still the case or has he improved immeasurably this season so that he now has a purpose?
Ah, so Sky are reporting that Ivan Gazidis met Arsenal fans’ groups at lunchtime today and told them that the club shares their concerns and that the last six weeks have been a catalyst for change. Presumably, that change is greater than bringing Ozil in again. Interesting though.
“I was daft enough to actually click on that link to the No New Contracteers’ manifesto. Thanks,” honks Charles Antaki. “Fortunately they’ve decorated it with an Arsenal logo from about 1958, presumably in tune with current threats of war with Spain over Gibraltar, so I got sufficient warning not to bother reading the rest of it.”
Could we get another 6-3 today?
27 goals have been scored in the last seven Premier League games between Arsenal and Man City.
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) April 2, 2017
3.86 goals per game. 🍿 pic.twitter.com/rYLOrCXTDX
James Walter is wondering just what the Pep is going on with Manchester City’s uber-attacking XI too. “City playing with De Bruyne and Silva as their midfield screen in front of the defence? Maybe they’re not expecting Arsenal to attack them today?”
It does seem like Pep is moving ever onwards towards repopularising the 2-3-5 formation of the 1890s.
Arsène Wenger is asked if his players may have benefitted from getting away from the Emirates, which has resembled the Temple of Doom recently. “Mentally for sure. They get a different atmosphere and it can only have a positive impact,” he says. “The next game in football is always a good opportunity to show what you’re made of. You have to believe in your quality. You want to show you’re equipped to play a big club.”
As for Pep Guardiola, he gives one of those weary sighs when asked if the title is still on after Chelsea’s defeat. “I think we have to see ourselves [how we play]. There’s a lot of points. It’s still a huge gap.”
“Afternoon Gregg,” chirps Matt Loten. “As you mentioned, it is very easy to understand the logic behind dropping Touré in a game such as this. What is less easy to understand, however, is the decision to bring Navas in as a replacement. How are City lining up? An ultra-Pep 4-0-6? This lineup could only really get more Guardiola if he chucked Agüero for a false nine. You know English football is changing when Kevin de Bruyne is the closest a team has to a water carrier. Arsene will be proud.”
There are thousands of No New Contract leaflets being handed out at the Emirates in which advice is given about how to make your views heard on social media because, you know, you just don’t hear enough about it really do you? You can even help raise money for the cause too. Yes, really. You can read the document here.
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In case you’re wondering, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is out with a hamstring strain and Aaron Ramsey has a bit of calf trouble. Touré is on the bench for City … well, because anybody who saw him chasing shadows around the Etihad against Liverpool will completely understand.
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My prediction below is the same as this match between the two sides back in 1975. As you’ll see, Arsenal almost came back from 3-0 down. Almost. Two belting strikes from Joe Royle and Alan Ball. I like Rodney Marsh’s joyful plate after he scores too.
Team news
Arsenal: Ospina, Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Xhaka, Coquelin, Walcott, Ozil, Welbeck, Sanchez. Subs: Gibbs, Gabriel, Giroud, Iwobi, Martinez, Elneny, Maitland-Niles.
Man City: Caballero, Fernandinho, Stones, Otamendi, Clichy, Jesus Navas, De Bruyne, Silva, Sane, Sterling, Aguero. Subs: Bravo, Kompany, Zabaleta, Nolito, Kolarov, Delph, Toure.
Referee: Andre Marriner (West Midlands)
City bring Navas in for Touré and Arsenal have Ozil back in the mix. But what kind of Ozil will he be? He’s usually the one that struggles without Cazorla to feed him. Also, the lesser-spotted Vincent Kompany is on the City bench.
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Preamble
Afternoon. How are you? You enjoyed the international fortnight right? Ah. Let’s move on then. This is a big match – one that could have huge consequences for both sides’ hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. Arsenal stagger into this fixture in dreadful form. Their last win in the league came against Hull City on 11 February. Their two other victories since have been in the FA Cup against non-league teams. There is disarray on the pitch and deep discord off it. How Arsène Wenger could do with a win to quieten just a smidgin of the Wenger Out crowd, who will again be both visible and vocal inside and outside the Emirates Stadium. It felt like breaking point before the defeat at West Brom. It now feels like broken point. A win would only help apply a little crumpled up sticky tape to a gaping wound. They’ve got a protest van on the streets of Islington this afternoon. Somewhere in a north London lockup perhaps a Wenger In battlebus is being readied, A Team-style, to ram it. Something to keep an eye on anyway. Trailing banners from light aircraft would appear to be old hat. Or maybe vans are cheaper. It’s a sorry situation.
Whatever you think about Arsenal fans’ protests, it really is up to Wenger to get a reaction out of his team today. Whether he can do that is another matter. Paul Doyle wrote a great piece on this very subject. He doesn’t tend to use a hairdryer to jolt his players into action, nor does he tend to employ grand sweeping tactical changes. After such a pitiful run of form it feels either of these approaches could be handy today. Subtle tweaks really haven’t done the business. So what will he do to get them going? Hope for the best? Hmmm.
As for Manchester City, it’s hard to know what to expect from Pep Guardiola’s side. They face Chelsea on Wednesday so they really need points from their few days in London to bolster their top-four hopes. As dominant as they can be going forwards, Guardiola has bemoaned a lack of ruthlessness in recent games. Against Liverpool, in a breathless 1-1 draw, they missed chances to win the game. Against Monaco too. It feels like someone is going to be unlucky to meet them when it really clicks. Arsenal will have to hope that day is not today. I expect this could be another open game. Neither defence inspires confidence. City usually give opponents one or two free hits with their propensity to play out from the back no matter how little space there is to actually do that and Arsenal, well, have just been a bit Arsenal at the back. They could do with locating a backbone – and fast.
My prediction: Arsenal 2-3 Manchester City
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