Roberto Mancini shows commendable bravery by making his midfield and strikers work overtime after Boyata is sent off.
Roberto Mancini deserves praise for his reaction to Dedryck Boyata's early red card, even if the manager's bravery ended up counting for nothing. Once the youngster had been dismissed I wondered what plan Mancini would concoct to counter an Arsenal side always so comfortable in possession. Nine out of 10 managers would have fallen back on a 4-4-1 system and isolated a forward. Boldly, however, Mancini challenged his players to work a 4-3-2 structure with the skilful and tireless David Silva and Carlos Tevez charged with occupying Arsenal's back four.
The home side maintained a level of attacking threat by keeping two players up front and Mancini merits praise for his outlook. His side rarely sat back, even if their efforts demanded maximum energy. Yaya Touré was initially switched to centre-back to partner Vincent Kompany, with City going narrow – dragging Silva from the touchline – just as Arsenal, with their numerical advantage, were attempting to stretch the pitch using the full width with Andrey Arshavin and Samir Nasri pinned wide.
Cesc Fábregas and Denílson were intent on spreading the play to the flanks but City worked feverishly to counter Arsenal's central dominance. James Milner, Nigel de Jong and Gareth Barry grafted in an attempt to cut down passing angles and dissuade Arsenal from making the field bigger by pinging the play from flank to flank. When the visitors were in possession, City's central trio ferried across to try to stop Arsenal working the ball from the right flank to Arshavin on the opposite side, with Silva showing good team responsibility by continually dropping in on Alex Song, the deepest of the Arsenal midfielders.
As a tactic, with Arsenal's own back line ever conscious of the threat posed by Tevez and Silva, it succeeded until City ran out of legs. Nasri's neat one-two with Arshavin, exploiting Barry's brief presence at left-back, had earned Arsenal a lead but it was fatigue that did for City. Up to Alexandre Song's second, Arsenal had arguably not used their one-man advantage as well as might have been expected, but the goal gave them breathing space and an opportunity to exhibit their comfort in keeping possession.
City will feel hard done by, and that their efforts deserved more than a heavy home defeat, but credit to Arsenal for some excellent performances. The impression left by Fábregas was to be expected, as was that of Nasri, whose continued emergence this season has been notable. Yet it was the confidence exuded by Lukasz Fabianski in goal that may just have given Arsène Wenger cause for a quiet smile.
Source: David Pleat, The Guardian on 25 Oct 10
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