Arteta on David Luiz and Özil
Barney Ronay on Kevin De Bruyne
“Breaking News!” writes Gary Naylor. “With Arsenal away at the Amex on Saturday, they have decided not to appeal David Luiz’s red card. But Brighton have.”
Jamie Jackson’s match report has arrived, so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company, goodnight.
ICYMI, here’s what happened earlier.
The game ended with a worrying injury to City’s teenage centre-back Eric Garcia, who was stretchered off after being flattened by Ederson. There’s no more news on him at the moment.
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Full time: Manchester City 3-0 Arsenal
Peep peep! Manchester City complete a comfortable win over Arsenal. The government hoped the return of the Premier League might lift the nation’s morale, and David Luiz obliged with a slapstick cameo for the ages. After coming on as substitute he made the first two City goals in his own inimitable style.
Luiz set up Raheem Sterling’s opening goal after suddenly forgetting how to control his own legs, and secured victory for City by giving away a penalty and getting sent off just after half-time.
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90+8 min Almost a consolation goal for Arsenal. After excellent play from Nelson, Aubameyang’s close-range shot deflects wide off the ever diligent Gundogan.
90+6 min And now Aguero misses an even better chance, driving into the side netting after a good through pass from Foden.
90+5 min Bernardo Silva misses a good chance, spraying well wide from the edge of the area.
90+4 min The upshot of this result is that Liverpool can’t win the title at Goodison Park on Sunday. They should now seal it at home to Crystal Palace next week.
GOAL! Manchester City 3-0 Arsenal (Foden 90+1)
Phil Foden seals a thumping win for City. It was a brilliant move, started by a stunning, flat crossfield pass from Fernandinho to Walker. Aguero and Sterling then sliced the Arsenal defence open with a lovely give-and-go. Aguero’s shot hit the post via the legs of Leno, and Foden gobbled up the rebound.0
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90 min There will be 11 added minutes.
88 min Garcia is finally moved onto the bigger stretcher and moved carefully from the field. City have used all five subs so they are down to 10 men as well.
86 min Ederson is leaning over Garcia to check if he is okay. At first he stayed away, whether because of fear, shock or whatever. Garcia still hasn’t been moved onto the bigger of the two stretchers. And though the players look relatively calm, this is all pretty worrying. He has been down for six or seven minutes now.
85 min Garcia is still being treated. The players don’t look unduly worried - Ederson and Aguero are joking about something while Mendy and Lacazette are having a conversation with their shirts pulled over their faces. I’m sure Garcia is concussed; beyond that we don’t know.
83 min Ederson charged out of his area to head a long ball clear, and accidentally followed through to flatten Garcia. It was not unlike the infamous Schumacher/Battiston incident in 1982. Garcia is still down receiving treatment, and is about to be moved onto a stretcher. I think he’s in a neck brace.
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80 min Ederson has accidentally flattened one of his team-mates, who is on his back and surrounded by concerned players on both sides. I’m not sure who it is but there are a lot of medical staff around him.
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80 min City’s final substitution. Sergio Aguero replaces Gabriel Jesus, so Leroy Sane will have to wait for his return to the first team.
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79 min Rodri is booked for an old normal tactical foul.
79 min The reason Gundogan was in so much space for that chance was that Rodri blocked an Arsenal player, Maitland-Niles I think, so it would probably have been disallowed by VAR had City scored.
78 min “To confirm the actual best word ever, may I present ultracrepidarian?” says Lenny. “Ultracrepidarianism is the habit of giving opinions and advice on matters outside of one’s knowledge. No better description of a football fan exists.”
77 min: Another good save from Leno! City had a free-kick 30 yards from goal after that Tierney foul. Sterling shaped to shoot and then played into Gundogan in space on the right side of the area. He took a touch and sidefooted a shot that was palmed away at the near post by Leno. He’s been excellent.
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76 min Tierney is booked for a poor tackle on Gundogan.
73 min “Evening Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “So football is back, and already it feels as if it’s never been away. VAR controversy, and Arsenal being Arsenal. Some things don’t need complicated language. Football is as football does.”
70 min More City changes. Rodri and Fernandinho replace Aymeric Laporte and the wonderful Kevin De Bruyne.
69 min Gorgeous play from City. Gundogan waves a pass out to Sterling on the right side of the area. He waits for the ball to bounce and then flicks it through to the onrushing De Bruyne, whose shot is pushed behind by Leno.
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68 min “Good evening Rob,” says Duncan Lennox. “Do you think these audio crowds can do a Mexican.wav? Sorry.”
You’ll get plenty of Free Lossless Audio Codec for that pun.
67 min Arsenal make their last block of substitutions. Alexandre Lacazette, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Reiss Nelson replace Guendouzi, Willock and Nketiah.
65 min A couple of changes for City: Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden replace David Silva and Riyad Mahrez.
65 min David Silva plays a fine through pass to Walker, whose low cross is well claimed by Leno. After a difficult start, this has turned into a very rewarding net session for City.
64 min “I regularly floccinaucinihilipilificate David Luiz,” says Dave Scott. “Just thought I’d mention it.”
62 min Arsenal have barely had a kick in the last five minutes.
60 min “Can we go back to not having football please?” writes
David Lu-
Harry Christie.
59 min Jesus blooters the ball straight at Leno from 25 yards. It was a fierce strike but too close to the keeper.
58 min Tierney is now playing at centre-half alongside Mustafi, who is back on the field.
57 min “So Arsenal could be down to no centre-halves,” says Tracy Mohr, referring to my comment after Mustafi’s injury. “How will we know the difference?”
56 min Arsenal played very well for half an hour, but now they are facing yet another heavy defeat to City.
54 min Mustafi is now struggling after that Sterling tackle, so Arsenal could be down to no centre-halves. They have three more substitutions but only one remaining block of substitutions under the new rules.
52 min Mustafi is down after a lunge from Sterling. It wasn’t a great tackle, and he probably should have been booked.
GOAL! Manchester City 2-0 Arsenal (De Bruyne 51 pen)
De Bruyne scores with ease, slamming the ball low to the right.
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DAVID LUIZ IS THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING
49 min David Luiz has given away a penalty and been sent off. It was desperate defending. Mahrez chested the ball past him and moved into the area, at which point Luiz pulled him over by the shoulder.
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48 min “Rob my dear chap,” says Kim Thonger. “On the subject of the thesaurus, who can possibly deny that the finest word ever invented, in any language, is prestidigitateur? Supplementary question, which footballer is best described thus? I say George Best. Discuss.”
I will, just as soon as
I’ve had chance to google it
the ball goes dead.
47 min Ederson’s awesome long pass - Frank de Boer couldn’t have done it better - almost puts Mahrez through on goal. His touch is just too heavy, and that allows Leno to claim.
46 min Peep peep! City begin the second half. No half-time changes on either side.
Ian Copestake, Liverpool fan “The not great thing for Arsenal, and my positivity, is that David Luiz will now be looking to make amends!”
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“Maybe Goalref (sensor in the ball) will prove to be a better form of goal line technology,” says Paul. “Today could be a watershed in the development of refereeing aids. However, the VARs were faced with a new situation and were clearly found wanting.”
That’s an excellent point. In their defence, I imagine they are all told to leave the room exactly as they found it.
“You can always count on David Luiz,” says Mary Waltz, “to have his ‘Look, squirrel!’ moment.”
“Hi Rob,” says Lenny. “I know you’re a wordsmith and all, but for me (Clive), the most satisfying element of that statement by Hawkeye is the learning of the word occlusion. Having now looked up the definition, I’m not even sure it’s the correct usage. It’s for these reasons I’ve missed football so much.”
Lot of people eating the thesaurus these days. Not sure why everyone needs to be so magniloquent.
Half time: Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal
Peep peep! After a slow start, Manchester City went through the gears and took a deserved lead just before half-time through Raheem Sterling’s first goal of 2020. The standard has been decent, however surreal the experience. See you in 15 minutes for more of the same.
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45+3 min A hat-tip to Stephen Carr, who sent this email a few minutes before the goal. “Nearly all of City’s attacks are in the area patrolled by David Luiz. He’s had quite the impact since he came on...”
GOAL! Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal (Sterling 45+2)
Raheem Sterling scores the first Premier League goal since the restart, but give credit to David Luiz for a masterful assist. De Bruyne’s ball infield from the right bounced up towards David Luiz, who opened his body to thigh it into the space behind the Arsenal defence, and indeed himself. Sterling ran on to it, waited for the ball to bounce and welted the ball past Leno.
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45 min Three minutes of added time.
43 min Saka’s outswinging free-kick from the left just evades the stretching Mustafi at the far post.
40 min “Hello Rob,” says Kári Tulinius. “I had long ago made plans to be in a summer cabin this week in my native Iceland. I was worried I’d miss Arsenal’s first game back. But I checked before going and found that all the summer cabins in this association had pay-per-view through a fibreoptic cable. Anyway, today I found out that this is the only cabin that hasn’t been hooked up yet.”
That’s a shame. On the plus side, YOU’RE IN A SUMMER CABIN IN BLOODY ICELAND, MAN!
39 min Another chance for City, who have been magnificent in the last five minutes. De Bruyne plays a simple* through pass to Sterling, who flips the ball over Leno but also the crossbar. He should have scored.
* for him
38 min “Nobody panic,” says Jonathan Seyghal. “Yes, 2020’s been strange but... ARSENAL ARE BACK!”
Still 0-0 here at the Etihad.
37 min City have upped their game in the last few minutes. A glorious pass from De Bruyne puts Mahrez through on goal, and Leno flies from his line to make an excellent block.
36 min “Dealing with Chaka Khan puns now?” says Niall Mullen. “I feel for you.”
Unsubscribe. That was one of her songs, right?
35 min Leno makes a much better save, plunging to his left to beat away a shot on the turn from David Silva. It came after a fine passing move from City, their best of the match, and it was a superb stop.
34 min Sterling cuts infield from the left and hits a trademark curler across goal that is palmed away by the diving Leno. It was a comfortable save as it wasn’t right in the corner.
33 min Garcia drags Nketiah over just outside the area. Anthony Taylor decides it’s not a foul. Nketiah has caused Garcia problems with his movement.
31 min “It’s too bad that City’s back-up goalkeeper isn’t playing tonight,” says Peter Oh. “The match could have been billed here in the US as ‘The Tonight Show, featuring Leno and Carson!’”
30 min Gundogan overhits a routine (for him) pass to Sterling, a microcosm of a rusty first-half performance from City. The worry for them is that they don’t have many attacking options on the bench either.
29 min “Hey, I can do optimism,” weeps Ian Copestake. “If Arsenal draw what are the permutations for the Everton v Liverpool game? Would it be a clincher?”
Nope, you need Arsenal to win. But that is not as absurd a concept as it was 29 minutes ago. They’re playing really well.
28 min “Sorry Rob, I’ve been working on my novel in an isolated cabin in the Norwegian mountains for the last six months,” says Phil Grey. “I was expecting Italy - Switzerland tonight. What’s going on?”
It’s the new normal!
27 min Arsenal definitely look the sharper side, even though they have already lost two players through injury. It may be a while before they have a better chance to win at the Etihad.
25 min De Bruyne gives the ball away just outside his own area. Arsenal work the ball nicely for Aubameyang, who hoofs over from 25 yards.
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24 min David Luiz replaces Pablo Mari, who is limping heavily as he is helped down the touchline.
23 min “Ah, that’s nothing,” says Matt Dony. “I have three months’ worth of bad puns, strained analogies, obscure pop-culture references and crowbarred allusions to Wales all bouncing around my brain. It’s going to be a fun 90-odd games. (For me, that is. Not the poor saps running MBMs, obviously.)”
You should try Twitter. I hear it’s good this time of year.
22 min Now Pablo Mari is down with an injury, and David Luiz is getting ready to come on. It looks like an achilles problem. While Pablo Mari is treated, the players take a drinks break.
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In other news, it’s back!
Hawk-Eye statement on the goal line incident during Aston Villa v Sheffield match this evening. pic.twitter.com/I2u5lqKMqe
— Hawk-Eye Innovations (@Hawkeye_view) June 17, 2020
18 min It’s been a confident start from Arsenal, who look lively in attack and composed in possession: they’ve had 50 per cent of it, in fact. The roof can always fall in pretty quickly against a Pep Guardiola team, but Mikel Arteta will bne pleased with how the match has gone so far.
16 min Tierney finds Aubameyang, who wins Arsenal’s first corner. Nothing comes of it.
13 min Saka’s inswinging cross from the right is volleyed wide of the near post by Nketiah. He got in front of Garcia but the ball came to him at an awkward height.
12 min Both teams look pretty sharp, given they haven’t played since March.
11 min Niall Mullen was right: bants really is back, as this email shows.
“Turns out, Xhaka can’t,” says Matt Dony.
10 min “Welcome back Rob,” says Gary Naylor. “Riyad Mahrez and Kevin de Bruyne on the same pitch? Reminds me of the heady days of Thierry Henry and Robert Pires. Four footballers who could have danced at the London Coliseum.”
Mahrez is a joy, isn’t he? I love wingers who beat their man through sleight of hip, especially when they are left-footed.
9 min A City corner is half-cleared to Walker, whose volley across goal skims the head of Bellerin and goes behind for a ... goalkick.
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7 min Xhaka is stretchered off with what looks like an ankle-ligament injury. Dani Ceballos replaces him.
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6 min Xhaka won’t be able to continue, and Dani Ceballos is hurriedly undressing. He twisted his ankle as he was chasing after a City player and then fell into his team-mate Guendouzi.
5 min There’s a break in play while Xhaka receives treatment. I’m sure there will be a few muscle injuries in these early games because of the short pre-season. Xhaka looks like he’s struggling.
4 min De Bruyne clips the free-kick over the wall but too close to Leno, who leaps to fingertip it over the bar.
3 min Sterling is flattened by Pablo Mari just outside the area. It was an abysmal tackle, a Sunday-league hack, and I’m surprised he wasn’t booked.
3 min “Hey Rob,” says Niall Mullen. “How will City cope playing in front of a crowd this big?!! Bantz is back amirite?”
It is now!
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2 min Nketiah misses an early chance, lobbing over Ederson but also the crossbar. No matter as he’d been flagged offside.
2 min A slight surprise in the Arsenal formation. Aubameyang is playing from the left, with Bukayo Saka on the right. Eddie Nketiah is up front.
1 min Peep peep! Arsenal kick off from right to left.
There’s a minute’s silence for the victims of Covid-19, including Pep Guardiola’s mother Dolors Sala Carrio, after which the 22 players and the referee Anthony Taylor take a knee.
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As the away side, Arsenal have the honour of getting drenched first. They are wearing their third kit, a stylish navy blue number, due to the colour clash between their usual red and Manchester City’s sky blue.
“As far as the football schedule goes, it is early spring,” says Mary Waltz. “Rain on the pitch makes perfect sense.”
Good point, although if this continues for half an hour we’ll have moats on the pitch. It’s John Cusack weather!
“The opening match delivered no sort of escapism at all,” chirps Ian Copestake. “Just a return to a familiar sort of hell. At least there will be pretty patterns on display in this one.”
Ian, sometimes I wonder whether you are truly living your best life.
It’s pelting down in Manchester. It’s the middle of June.
Mikel Arteta has just Whatsapped me to confirm that Mesut Ozil, who is not in the Arsenal squad, is not injured. Arteta says he will talk about it after the game.
It’s back! It has finished Aston Villa 0-0 Sheffield United at Villa Park. It should have been 1-0 to Sheffield United, but goalline technology went rogue when Oliver Norwood scored just before half-time.
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“Scrumdidlyupmtious to see you in the seat for tonight’s game, Rob,” says Bill Hargreaves. “Hope you’ve kept well this Covid period. Into the breach, dear friends!”
I don’t know whether it’s an endorsement or an indictment of my life, but I’ve barely noticed any difference in lockdown. I’ve missed deliberately walking into who are engrossed in their phones, but that’s about it.
“Very happy about our players taking a knee in support of Black Lives Matter,” says Michelle Peters-Jones. “We need a strong statement from the Premier League and this is it in the strongest possible way, especially compared to the sports leagues across the pond.”
Yes, I’m sure it’ll happen before every Premier League game this week. It’s absolutely a good thing, but it’s probably worth revisiting in five years’ time to see whether it was more than just a PR gesture.
An email! “This ‘outside chance’ you mention, Rob, of Arsenal getting into the Champions League,” begins Charles Antaki. “Is this the same kind of outside chance that Captain Oates took, that chilly night in the Antarctic?”
If they win tonight they’ll be two points off fifth place. They’d still cock it up, nowt surer, but I reckon that constitutes an outside chance.
More pre-match reading, including a very happy story from Leicestershire
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While you wait, why not ready today’s Fiver? It’s all about the sad end of our world-famous* STOP FOOTBALL campaign.
Team news
The state of that Manchester City subs’ bench.
Manchester City (4-3-3) Ederson; Walker, Garcia, Laporte, Mendy; De Bruyne, Gundogan, D Silva; Mahrez, Jesus, Sterling.
Substitutes: Carson, Zinchenko, Otamendi, Rodri, B Silva, Fernandinho, Aguero, Sane, Foden.
Arsenal (possible 4-2-3-1) Leno; Bellerin, Pablo Mari, Mustafi, Tierney; Xhaka, Guendouzi; Aubameyang, Willock, Saka; Nketiah.
Substitutes: Martinez, David Luiz, Kolasinac, Ceballos, Maitland-Niles, Martinelli, Lacazette, Pepe, Nelson.
Referee Anthony Taylor.
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Preamble
For heaven’s sake, man, cool your jets! This is only game two of 92 in the Great Summer Festival of Football, and you’ve already ingurgitated all the Wagon Wheels. And what’s happened to that crate of Hofmeister? That was supposed to last until Crystal Palace v Burnley a week on Monday!
Yep, the Premier League is back with a view improving the nation’s morale, and probably its obesity levels. Aston Villa v Sheffield United is taking place right now - you’ll be pleased to know the Premier League restart has already descended into farce - with the main course to follow at the Etihad. We’ve sacrificed plenty in the last few months, so now it’s time for a peedie reward: we get to watch Kevin De Bruyne play association football. Unless Pep leaves him out, in which case we can always head over to Fred Dinenage: Murder Casebook on Sky Crime.
City start this game in second place, 25 big ones behind Liverpool. If they lose tonight, Liverpool will be able to clinch the title at Goodison Park on Sunday. Arsenal are ninth, with realistic hopes of a Europa League place and an outside chance of qualifying for the Champions League.
It’s surprising to note that Arsenal have lost fewer Premier League games than City this season, though City will make it seven apiece if they win tonight. In the year 2020, most bets are off, but I doubt many will back against City tonight.
Kick off 8.15pm BST.
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