Why Ramsey On The Right Stifled City & Proved Arsenal Are Committed Left-Wingers

A lopsided Arsenal flooded the midfield and neutralised Man City’s wide men, dominating the first half on Sunday, before Mancini’s tinkering tightened things up at The Etihad

Sunday’s 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium between Manchester City and Arsenal made interesting viewing for a number of reasons. City are formidable at home, unbeaten since a defeat by Everton as far back as December 2010, whilst this was the toughest test for Arsène Wenger’s improved and resurgent team. As is inevitable with Roberto Mancini at the moment there was plenty to look at from a tactical point of view. Indeed, the game was an interesting battle in this regard, with interesting selection choices and adjustments throughout which altered the pattern of the game.

On twitter (not always the best place to judge, I admit) there was plenty of chatter and bemusement regarding the decision to select Aaron Ramsey on the right, as opposed to the other more naturally attacking options available to Wenger.

However, as I alluded to in my previous column, although Arsenal’s shape is a variation of a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 it is heavily slanted with the left-side as the most attacking flank. The onus is on the right-sided player to contribute more defensively, operating in a deeper-lying and often more central area, meaning a ‘midfield-type’ in Wenger’s words is more suitable. Thus the choice was always going to be between Ramsey and Oxlade-Chamberlain for the role – even without his contractual issues, Theo Walcott will only be an impact sub whilst Arsenal persist with this left-sided focus.

The chart below highlights the passes received by Ramsey in the first half when Arsenal were most dominant, which were predominantly in the middle third of the pitch and indicated his licence to roam and join the midfield collective centrally. Arsenal’s best bit of play resulted in Ramsey drifting into a central position and exchanging passes with Santi Cazorla before releasing Gervinho with a perfectly weighted through ball, although the Ivorian’s control let him down and the chance was wasted.

Mancini is clearly attempting to introduce a tactical fluidity to his side this year, to enable them to take varying approaches against different teams. In the long run this will most likely be of great benefit, however it is causing some short term niggles. Scott Sinclair was brought in, probably anticipating that Carl Jenkinson would be Arsenal’s weak link and City reverted to a variant of 4-4-2, with David Silva tucked in on the other side. However Jenkinson continued with his impressive performances meaning Sinclair had no effect on the game, while Silva also remained on the periphery. The player influence charts for the first half explain Arsenal’s dominance, as with the two City wide men on the edge of the game and Ramsey tucking in, it was effectively a battle of four against two. The intricate passing proved too much for Yaya Toure and Javi Garcia and, despite going into the interval a goal down, Arsenal were undoubtedly the better team.

Although it was Mancini’s tactical setup that hindered the team in the first half, the advantage of his tinkering is that the system can be easily changed if things are not working. The half-time substitution of Jack Rodwell for Sinclair was in response to Arsenal’s dominance in the central area of the pitch.

Subsequently, City had their best period of the game, subduing Arsenal and gaining a foothold in midfield. The player interaction chart for the second half shows City had a much more balanced shape in the second half, with Rodwell tucking in to form a midfield three at times and Silva allowed to roam to effect the game in more advanced areas. Although it may have appeared as though Rodwell had little influence on the game to the naked eye – he only attempted 15 passes in the second half, compared to Ramsey for example with 39 – he was introduced to perform a tactical duty and did so admirably.

It wasn’t until Wenger made two changes in the 72nd minute, bringing on Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud, that Arsenal began to exert their influence on the game once again. Mancini’s tactical adjustment had neutered Arsenal up until that point, but the change in attacking focus gave City something new to think about. Giroud has received some overly harsh criticism already, which is particularly unfair given that he is a young player trying to adapt to a new league.

His presence as an attacking pivot was actually very useful and combined with his clever movement, he allowed Arsenal to advance further up the pitch and cause City some new problems.

Furthermore, with Theo Walcott occupying Gael Clichy and David Silva unwilling to track back, Jenkinson was afforded further space to attack into and offered another outlet in the final 20 minutes. Arsenal’s pressure told and they finished the game as the stronger of the two sides, equalising in the process before Gervinho wasted another great chance at the death.

For all the tactical nuances, the game proved to be a tight affair with set pieces required to provide the breakthrough at both ends. However there were plenty of positives to take from an Arsenal point of view, whilst Manchester City can and will undoubtedly improve.

Source: Marc Braterman, Sabotage Times on 25 Sep 12

Laurent Koscielny rescues point for Arsenal at Manchester City

Manchester City are so unaccustomed to dropping points on their own ground that Arsenal are entitled to cite this performance as evidence that, at the very least, they can have more input on the title race than they managed last season. Arsène Wenger's team left it late, Laurent Koscielny lashing the ball past Joe Hart after 82 minutes, but they deserved their equaliser and can be encouraged by the way they matched and frustrated the champions.

City rarely played with the style and control that has established the Etihad as the most formidable territory in the Premier League, with no home defeat for approaching two years. Joleon Lescott's headed goal, from a corner five minutes before half-time, was out of keeping with what had preceded it and an unsatisfactory day was epitomised by those moments in the second half when, first, Sergio Agüero played a simple pass to an opponent and then David Silva rolled the ball straight out of play for a throw-in. It was rare to see revered players suffering this form of carelessness and, coupled with the fact City have not managed a clean sheet this season, Roberto Mancini was justified afterwards in complaining that there must be an improvement.

Wenger's team always displayed a little more poise and, though they also endured periods when their football was not as clean and slick as their manager expects, there were spells when they threatened to wear their opponents down. Santi Cazorla was prominently involved, always wanting the ball and knowing the right thing to do with it. Mikel Arteta played with similar composure and Aaron Ramsey impressed in an unfamiliar wide role. When Jack Wilshere is back playing, this is going to be a delicious midfield.

Their problem is an obvious one, namely how to make do in attack without Robin van Persie. Lukas Podolski was substituted after a peripheral performance while Gervinho is too erratic, his touch frequently poor. One superb pass from Ramsey sent him running clear, at 0-0, but the striker's clumsiness wasted the opportunity, knocking the ball too far ahead and allowing Hart to cut out the danger. Olivier Giroud may solve the problem when he finds some confidence but for now the Frenchman is only on the edges, restricted to 18 minutes as a substitute.

Mancini admitted that Arsenal had dominated in midfield during the first half, compelling him to take off Scott Sinclair at the interval and bring on another of his new players, Jack Rodwell. Sinclair, starting his first home match for City, had been poor and replacing him with a more central player did have an effect on the game early in the second half. City, nonetheless, lacked their usual drive, with Carlos Tevez not in the starting line-up and the fit-again Agüero trying to renew a partnership with Edin Dzeko that has never really existed, almost a year to the day since their last start together.

Agüero worked hard but looked rusty and flashed wide a late chance. The little incident at the end, when Mario Balotelli said something to Mancini and the manager pushed him down the tunnel, compounded a bad day for City and, though these are still early days, there is a legitimate feeling they have temporarily lost some of the impetus that took them to the title. Afterwards, Wenger said a draw was the least his team had deserved.

Arsenal had taken their time to get going in the second half but their goal came from a spell of mounting pressure. Hart had tipped Cazorla's drive over the crossbar and when the Spaniard swung in the corner Lescott could not get enough leverage on his header. Koscielny's first touch controlled the ball, the second was a shot that was still rising when it went into the top corner.

Koscielny was guilty, for Agüero's chance, of giving the ball straight to his opponent inside the penalty area. The early-season improvement in Arsenal's defending was not particularly obvious, too, for Lescott's goal, originating from a Silva corner that the otherwise impressive Kieran Gibbs need not have conceded. Vito Mannone, deputising for the injured Wojciech Szczesny, came off his line but never got close to claiming the ball. Lescott had Podolski and Koscielny in close proximity but still managed to head the ball inside the far post.

It was a soft goal to concede but overall Arsenal restricted their opponents to few clear chances, despite Thomas Vermaelen's illness forcing Wenger to change his back four for the first time this season. Tevez and Balotelli could not bring a new spark to City's attack when they came off the bench, while Silva struggled to find his touch and Sinclair remained quiet with his new club. At least he is getting a game: this was the third successive match James Milner, an England regular, has not even made the bench.

Theo Walcott will have his own frustrations after being omitted in favour of Ramsey, a central midfielder asked to play on the right wing. Arsenal's system, however, was neat and effective. City, with 76 points out of a possible 78 in their home games before this fixture, have still not really got going.

Man of the match: Santi Cazorla (Arsenal)

Source: Daniel Taylor, The Guardian on 23 Sep 12

A Premier League of ups, downs and outs leaves a legacy of flaws

The Champions League finalists finish sixth in the league, Manchester United lose an eight-point lead and Manchester City lose five away games but end up winners

It was the flaws that made for an engrossing Premier League season. Even Manchester City, on their path to the prize, contrived to lose five away games. The new champions will scarcely be in anguish now but such results emphasised that this, to put it kindly, has been a transitional campaign.

One ought to marvel that Manchester United got so close to retaining the title. Expenditure in the transfer market has increased by comparison with earlier periods under the ownership of the Glazers but the outlay still seems relatively small when set against the scale of the club itself. That policy leaves United with a capable team rather than an enthralling one.

No one, for instance, assumes that either Antonio Valencia or Ashley Young, the wingers employed against Sunderland on Sunday, is going to be ranked with Cristiano Ronaldo, who moved from Old Trafford to the Bernabéu in 2009, when he was 24. There can be no claim that his best years had been in the service of United.

In the weekend win it always looked as if Wayne Rooney alone could settle the outcome, as he did. United are not alone in being a prominent side that is, for the moment, best suited to domestic consumption. The last 16 of the Champions League contained only two English sides. Arsenal were eliminated by Milan then and, while Chelsea will meet Bayern Munich in the final, the Stamford Bridge team have come sixth in the Premier League.

In the case of Arsenal one wonders if a touch of panic might be of assistance. Arsène Wenger seems so patient that trophies are still a remote consideration. Depth, for instance, was needed in attack but the transfer of Lukas Podolski from Cologne was agreed only recently. Had another forward arrived sooner, Arsenal would have enjoyed the option, on occasion, of selecting the excellent Robin van Persie as a schemer instead of a spearhead.

It might, all the same, be perverse to dwell on that sort of issue when half the teams in this season's Premier League have had a better defensive record in away matches than Arsenal. For a club of their standing, references to the injury troubles of Thomas Vermaelen do not amount to a satisfactory explanation. Indeed the side lost 4-0 away to Milan when the Belgian was in the line-up.

Vulnerability at even the mighty clubs has intensified the drama of the Premier League. Instead of being the resourceful, steely side of former days, United could find nothing better to do with an eight-point lead than discard it while losing, for instance, at Wigan Athletic and allowing Everton to recover from 4-2 down to draw at Old Trafford.

Nemanja Vidic suffered a grave injury against Basel in December but one would expect United to cope better at critical times, even if their points tally for the season was still large. Chelsea have suffered a greater fall from grace and, given the switch from the unsuccessful André Villas-Boas to the interim head coach Roberto Di Matteo, the improvisatory tone has been inescapable.

There is a craving at Stamford Bridge to see Fernando Torres flourish but the striker instead seems like the embodiment of the Premier League nowadays. He holds the promise of excellence but it is not fulfilled often enough. So it is, incongruously, that a 34-year-old Didier Drogba can look the principal hope for Chelsea, with agitation at the likelihood that he will leave.

Elsewhere the general state of affairs at Stamford Bridge would be envied. Liverpool have made a modest advance by taking the League Cup after a penalty shoot-out with Cardiff City and getting to an FA Cup final won by Chelsea, but it is too much to ask that Steven Gerrard single-handedly supplies the verve in midfield.

Tottenham Hotspur have come fourth, denying Newcastle United the prospect of Champions League football, but their stadium is not big enough to help generate the levels of income that would enhance the squad markedly. Beyond the current circumstances there is a difficulty in telling what we ought to anticipate from the Premier League in the near future.

Touches of austerity can be spotted, even if City are unacquainted with them. Should the forthcoming financial fair play measures have the profound effect sought by Uefa, we could see a dip in glamour that is more than offset by the rise in competitiveness. As it is, the elite have not seemed quite so aloof even if City will be sure that their era is only beginning.

Source: Kevin McCarra, The Guardian on 15 May 12

Forget title talk, we deserved that

Unsurprisingly, the majority of the media focus after yesterday’s match has been on Manchester City’s fading title challenge, and a certain Italian striker. However this being an Arsenal blog, it’s time to redress the balance and give our team the credit they deserve for a fantastic win.

The victory wasn’t without its difficulties, mainly of our own making with some interesting finishing in front of goal, however no-one could deny that we deserved to win and outplayed and outclassed our opponents. On paper, the match was between two teams with completely different philosophies on running a football club, with one attempting to buy the best players, and the other having a self-sustaining business model. There was also one team chasing the title, and the other 13 points behind them in a scrap for the top four. If you were an outside observer watching the game, you’d never have guessed correctly which club was which.

We looked like the team that were chasing the title because we actually were intent on attacking to try and win the game. It’s been a while since we were involved in the title race right until the end of the season, but we know as Arsenal fans that in these sorts of games, you need to make a statement. City didn’t do that. It was partly because we didn’t allow them to. Arsenal put the QPR defeat behind them and played with the confidence that comes with winning seven games in a row. However, Manchester City again came to the Emirates and were mainly concerned with defending.

It was such a relief to see Mikel Arteta’s stunning long range effort fly past Joe Hart, because the visitors’ negative tactics were punished, and the team that actually looked like they wanted to attack, won. For a team that have spent so much money on attacking talent, and had to realistically win after Manchester United’s victory, it baffled me to see City be so defensive again. They did it last season at the Emirates and got away with a 0-0. I’m glad they didn’t this time.

Wojciech Szczesny was almost redundant for 90 minutes (apart from supposedly drinking a beer thrown on the pitch), whereas at the other end, whilst we didn’t create loads of chances, the ones we did make were fantastic opportunities.

Robin van Persie is in a goal drought by his extremely high standards this season, however he was genuinely unlucky to not find the net against Manchester City. His first half header was comfortably going in, but for Thomas Vermaelen. It’s hard to blame the Belgian as he was just making an eager run towards the back post and was definitely didn’t intend to get in the way of the shot. Van Persie then hit the post with another header in the second half. That was a more difficult chance than some pundits have made it out to be. It was another excellent pass by Song, and van Persie had to watch the ball float over his head, whilst losing the defender, and then have to generate power and accuracy with the header. To hit the post was unlucky.

The skipper then had a goal disallowed for offside. The linesman deserves credit for getting that decision right as it was a very tight call, however it’s frustrating to see Chelsea score two outrageously offside goals in the same weekend. After Robin hit the woodwork twice, we then doubled that tally as a team in one unbelievable scramble. Walcott’s low effort was tipped onto the post, Vermaelen then slipped and Benayoun somehow scuffed it wide via the outside of the post. There was a feeling that it was going to be one of those days where we play really well, but somehow manage to fluff our chances.

I've talked a lot on this blog this season about players taking responsibility, and making things happen themselves instead of looking to others to do it for them. Mikel Arteta typifies that new attitude of the majority of our squad. Even late in the game, he was willing to close City players down high up to the pitch, and doing this enabled him to win the ball for the winning goal. After his tackle on Pizarro opened up the space in front of him, it would have been easy for Arteta to dally on the ball and try and pass the ball out wide, instead his immediate thought was to go for goal. In his last two games at the Emirates, Arteta has produced two of the sweetest strikes imaginable. We've wanted him to shoot from distance more, and now he's proving why. People have been critical of Arteta for not scoring many goals, but he now has six in the Premier League from a deep midfield role. That's also more than David Silva and Samir Nasri have scored each for Manchester City in the league this season, making Arteta's goal return look more impressive.

Our collective midfield unit once again showed that what they might lack sometimes in skill, they're more than willing to make up for it by working hard and chasing the opposition down. The midfield trio of Song, Arteta and Rosicky probably weren't plan A when we sold Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, but are they doing a good job for the team? Undoubtedly. They might just be temporary gap fillers until Ramsey and Wilshere are ready to start regularly either because of form or injury, but at the moment the current trio look to be cementing their place in the side for the long term. In terms of reputation, wages and transfer fees, our midfield should have been over-run, but as they have done repeatedly in the second half of the season, Song, Arteta and Rosicky didn't let that happen.

Aaron Ramsey has been a hot topic of debate for some Arsenal fans, and his introduction ahead of Oxlade-Chamberlain will have frustrated many. His miss at the end was also distinctly dodgy. However I still think people need to be patient with Ramsey. In recent weeks, he been played out of position, but has still been getting himself heavily involved. We'd be more frustrated if he was playing but not seeing the ball and not working hard to get it. His finishing does need a lot of work, but when that improves, I think he can be one of the best attacking midfielders in the league. It might take time, but he can do it.

A word for the defence. Whilst City weren't overly ambitious going forward, we still snuffed out any danger that came close to our area. Koscielny and Vermaelen's partnership continues to improve. The team had clearly worked on tightening things up after the slip at QPR.

It's hard to not mention Mario Balotelli when writing about this game. His three tackles on Bacary Sagna were bad enough, but the one on Song made me apoplectic with rage. We've had some bad luck with injuries in recent seasons, but we got a huge amount of good luck that Alex Song didn't have his leg broken. It was a disgraceful tackle, and we can only hope the FA will revisit the tackle and make sure those sort of challenges are eradicated from the game.

We deserved to win the match, and are in a good position heading into the final stretch of the season in terms of the top four. Third is definitely still within our reach, as is a higher points total than last season. The improvement hasn't been as big as we'd have wanted, but Arsene Wenger has overcome a lot this season to improve this team. Whilst we'd obviously prefer to be in Manchester City's position in the league, as an outsider looking in, our team is much more together and the ethos within the squad is better, and a lot of the credit for that has to go to Wenger and to who he brought into the club.

We have to follow this result up with a good performance at Wolves on Wednesday. Even though they look doomed, we only have to think back to the defeat at Loftus Road to know that away games at relegation battlers aren't easy. While others have been concerning themselves with the title, Arsene Wenger has quietly got Arsenal back up the table. If we continue on this rate of improvement, we might be back in the title spotlight next season.

Source: Sam Limbert, ESPN Soccernet on 10 Apr 12

Arsenal v Manchester City: five talking points from the Emirates

City's title aspirations evaporate, Balotelli may have had his lot, and Arsenal's refocused ambition is settling for third place …

City's title challenge has run aground once and for all
There had been a desperation to Manchester City's pursuit of United at the top even before kick-off, the champions having opened up an eight‑point lead by defeating Queens Park Rangers in the earlier kick-off. Defeat ensured that chasm still gapes with only six games to go. Suddenly it all feels too much. City deserved little from this encounter, limping through a contest they so needed to win. Where was the urgency in the opening period? Or the ambition after the interval? The longer the match drifted on, the more assured Arsenal, not City, appeared. Roberto Mancini looked helpless in his technical area wearing a "me against the world" expression. His team have improved this term, but they are still not to be title winners.

Balotelli may be missing for the league run-in
That may feel like a blessing now. The run-in to this campaign already felt dominated by Mario Balotelli and his propensity to self‑destruct, with the third dismissal of his season for a pair of fouls on Bacary Sagna suitably baffling. That will incur a three-match ban given previous misdemeanours, but there could yet be retrospective action for him planting his studs high into Alex Song's right shin after 20 minutes. That offence appeared to go unnoticed by Martin Atkinson, with David Pizarro and Tomas Rosicky in his line of his sight, meaning an offence that would normally carry a three-match ban could prompt belated sanction. Balotelli's season could potentially be over. Why always him? There's a simple answer to that. This was another one of his liability days.

Silva was missed, but losing Yaya Touré was key on the day
The visitors undoubtedly missed the subtle creativity that is usually provided by David Silva – or at least had been until this campaign caught up with the Spaniard in recent weeks – with their creator-in-chief absent with a knee injury here. Yet, on the afternoon, the sight of Yaya Touré hobbling off after jarring a leg following a challenge from Alex Song felt just as significant. The midfielder is influential at both ends in this City team, a leggy presence in defence and surging forward in attack, and it was no surprise when Pizarro was slow to close down Mikel Arteta as the Spaniard converted the only goal. Touré might not have been so easily bypassed.

Arsenal sense third place is there for the taking
This was a hugely significant victory for Arsenal in their pursuit of third place and Champions League football. Tottenham Hotspur had actually edged back ahead of them in the table some 24 hours earlier, and Chelsea and Newcastle United were breathing down their necks. So to emerge victorious from what appeared their most demanding fixture of the run-in – Chelsea are still to visit – felt psychologically significant. Laurent Koscielny will be absent, suspended for their fixtures against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic, but Arsène Wenger's side can cope, on this evidence. They were the hungrier and, ultimately, more impressive side against City. They can approach their remaining fixtures with relish.

Gunners no longer rely only upon Van Persie
The Dutchman remains this side's source of inspiration, providing bite and fluid motion to their frontline, but Arsenal no longer feel quite so reliant upon Robin van Persie's input to chisel out victories. This was a fourth successive game without a goal from the Dutchman, a drought in such a prolific campaign, even if he did everything but score: he struck a post with a header, saw Thomas Vermaelen inadvertently clear another goal-bound attempt from the line, and had a goal disallowed for offside. The goals will return to swell Van Persie's already healthy tally, but Arsenal know they can thrive against quality opponents again, regardless of whether their top scorer hits the net.

Source: Dominic Fifield, The Guardian on 8 Apr 12

Manchester City's title hopes sunk by Mikel Arteta's late Arsenal goal

For Manchester City, it was the killer blow and Mario Balotelli made sure there was ignominy attached. A five-point lead has turned into an eight-point deficit in little more than a month and the players' body language at the final whistle told its own story.

Some stood with their hands on hips.Others sank to their knees and when they finally summoned up the energy, the walk to the away end was an apologetic one. They knew it was over.

By that point Balotelli was already in the dressing room, sent off on the back of a dangerous, chaotic, birdbrain performance that makes it unlikely we will see him in City's colours again this season. After that, who knows? For the first time Roberto Mancini said he would "probably" try to sell him and, if it was not just heat‑of‑the‑moment stuff and his patience has truly snapped, he cannot be blamed.

Mancini also said José Mourinho might have been right when he described Balotelli as "unmanageable", and yet City's manager later reiterated his affection for a player he strenuously denied he had overindulged. "I love him as a guy," he said.

All that can be said for certain is that, at this stage of the season, Mancini's team had to emerge with three points from this match and exert some pressure on Manchester United at the top of the table. Instead, City have won only one of their last five games, taking five points from 15.

Their form has deteriorated at just the wrong time and Arsenal fully deserved the win that takes them back into third place, two points clear of Tottenham Hotspur.

Arsène Wenger's team dominated for long spells, struck posts through Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott, missed an open goal twice and could reflect on a number of other chances before the decisive moment, on 87 minutes, when Mikel Arteta dispossessed David Pizarro 40 yards from goal, advanced towards the City penalty area and beat Joe Hart with a right-foot drive. Wenger was correct afterwards when he talked of "consistent domination". With better luck, Arsenal would have won far more convincingly.

Their opponents had been restricted to brief spells when they threatened to get on top. Balotelli had one breakaway chance in the first half and turned in another show of petulance, kicking a post in frustration.

The same player had what every amateur golfer knows as an air‑shot with City's best opportunity of the second half and, that apart, the only time Arsenal's goal was seriously threatened came via a 53rd‑minute cross from Samir Nasri. Sergio Agüero and Pablo Zabaleta got in each other's way and as they looked at one another for an explanation, it felt symptomatic of how City have unravelled.

Nothing, however, epitomises their meltdown more than the contribution of the Italian striker with the mohican, the attitude and the message on his vest saying: "You only live once."

We never got to see that slogan beneath Balotelli's shirt. We did, however, witness all the worst traits of a man who has stayed too young too long. His season has become a portfolio of lunacy and this was arguably the lowest point.

The surprise was that his red card, for a second bookable challenge on Bacary Sagna, took until the final minute of normal time to arrive. The more serious offence was on Alex Song to leave the Arsenal midfielder on the floor after 21 minutes and remind us, quite simply, that Balotelli has gone past the point where there is any real charm and strayed into a place where it is difficult to find any legitimate form of defence.

It was his studs versus his opponent's kneecap, the classic over-the-top leg‑breaker. Song was fortunate he was able to get up and if the referee, Martin Atkinson, tells the Football Association that his view was impeded, as television replays appear to demonstrate, Balotelli could be looking at retrospective punishment for the second time this season. "There are six games left and he won't play," Mancini said, resigned to a six‑match ban.

Ultimately, though, there were plenty more reasons for City to be disappointed. Arsenal always played with the greater momentum, applying strong pressure from the start. Van Persie could reflect on one header that connected with the woodwork and another that struck his team-mate, Thomas Vermaelen, on the goalline. Vermaelen and Yossi Benayoun both missed when it had seemed easier to score after Walcott's low shot skimmed against a post.

At the end City's assistant manager, David Platt, urged the losing players to go over to the away fans. The television cameras had already picked out a young boy in tears. Carlos Tevez, however, had already gone down the tunnel, along with a few others. It was a shabby way to end a horrible day, and the ordeal might become even worse given that Sir Alex Ferguson's 13th title can be confirmed at the Etihad Stadium, on 30 April.

Source: Daniel Taylor, The Guardian on 8 Apr 12

Mario on the brink

On the day when Manchester City's crumbling title challenge came to a predictably grizzly end, the career of their maverick, reckless and soon-to-be former striker Mario Balotelli was thrown into the balance.

Mikel Arteta's late winner may have been the most significant statistic on an afternoon when Manchester United all but sealed their 20th English league title, yet this day will also be remembered as Balotelli's last as a Manchester City player.

Balotelli's liaisons with the same escort girl who hit the headlines for her fling with Wayne Rooney a couple of years ago dominated the tabloid newspaper agenda in England on Easter Sunday morning and instead of responding to that embarrassment in a responsible and professional manner, the fallen idol of the City faithful produced a performance that was as selfish as it was unforgivable.

After City had fallen eight points behind United prior to kick-off, Balotelli needed to produce a display that would prove all the hassle that comes with him is worthwhile. Instead, he chose to indulge us with his most petulant display yet. From first minute to last, the sulking Italian looked primed to receive a red card and the only surprise was that it came seconds before the end of a game that he had contributed little or nothing towards.

Mancini admitted should have been sent off for a horrid tackle on Alex Song in the first half, but the City manager didn't stop there, as he suggested the 22-year-old may be forced out of football altogether unless he completely alters his behaviour on and off the pitch.

"Mario has to realise that he is in trouble if he does not change now because he cannot carry on like this," began Mancini, who offered up an extraordinary post-match press conference.

"I did not understand how bad his tackle on Song was until I saw it on the TV replay. He should have been sent off at that point. Then he finally got sent off in the last minute and what more can I say? He has to understand that he will not be able to play at the top level until he appreciates what is needed.

"I must have 11 players on the field in every game to win big matches and with Mario, this is not certain. I have finished my work with him now. There is nothing more I can do.

"Mario will not play again for us this season and I think City will probably try and sell him in the summer. His behaviour is unacceptable and I hope he can change. Not for my sake, but for his own. This cannot carry on if he wants to play football."

The reaction of City keeper Joe Hart after Balotelli's late red card summed up just what his own team-mates think of their out of control team-mate. Gesturing to the bench and questioning why the striker was still on the field after he tried time and again to get sent off, it was a suggestion that Mancini has to take his share of the blame for allowing his favoured son to remain on the pitch for so long.

Not for the first time, Mario had let down the manager who has shown so much faith in his wayward talents, with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger joining the debate by suggesting Balotelli had 'flirted with a variety of orange card challenges' before he was finally banished from the pitch for a late lunge on Bacary Sagna.

Balotelli's bizarre display epitomised City's demise in so many ways. The brash, arrogant title-winning style of the first half of the season was nowhere to be seen at the Emirates Stadium. Outfought by opponents who wanted the three points more from the off, Arsenal got the victory they deserved at the last thanks to Arteta's thrilling long-range strike.

Mancini was quick to praise Sir Alex Ferguson's champions-elect after his side's defeat, as he suggested a lack of title-winning nous has cost his side in the end.

"I believe United have won 11 games out of 12 and the run they have been on in the last few weeks has been exceptional," said the City boss. "They have more experience than us at this stage of the season and I believe that has been crucial. We will not give up, but the title race is probably over."

The sight of Arsenal fans joyously performing their own version of 'the Poznan' goal celebration City supporters have delighted in of late will be the abiding memory of a day that may well have brought down the curtain on another era at Manchester's 'other' club.

Indeed, had Arsenal taken their chances in this game, the scale of their victory may well have embarrassed a City side that looked laboured from the off, with their inability to create genuine scoring chances confirming the suspicion that their belief has long since evaporated.

Arsenal's unconfined joy was contrasted by the glum faces of City's lavishly wealthy owners perched in the front row of the Emirates Stadium directors' box, as their first great attempt to buy their way to Premier League glory has imploded in alarming fashion.

Most will now expect the world's richest club to rip up their script and start all over again and while manager Mancini has made enough progress over the last two years to get another crack at winning the Premier League, a handful of the team he has struggled to control will be sacrificed as they have failed the ultimate title test.

Balotelli will be the first liability leaving City this summer and a few more of his highly paid team-mates will not be far behind him.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Mikel Arteta
It needed a moment of magic to crack this game open and just when it seemed as if a scoreless stalemate was inevitable, Arteta struck gold. It was his finest moment in an Arsenal shirt.

CITY VERDICT
Jaded, bedraggled and beaten, Roberto Mancini and his squad look like a team that knew their title challenge had ended even before this game kicked off. Many of this team will now wonder whether their names will appear on the unwanted list this summer.

ARSENAL VERDICT
"It was a well deserved three points and this victory shows how much we have progressed this season," said boss Arsene Wenger. "We have produced some outstanding performances at home in recent weeks and to take 24 points from a possible 27 confirms we are performing very consistently. We are enjoying the challenge of trying to finish third and have to push on now."

Source: Kevin Palmer, ESPN Soccernet on 8 Apr 12

Wenger's reaction to the Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City match

on Arteta's winner and the performance...
It was a very well-taken goal. I think it gave us three points that we deserved because we had a consistent domination in the game. I think we had over 60 per cent possession. They had one or two good periods, Man City, but overall after 10 minutes in the second half it was all us.

I always felt the goal would come but it was very tight and in the end you feel it is important not to lose. But we kept going and at home recently we have produced some outstanding performances against any team. I am very happy that we got the win and the team continues to grow in quality.

on a fast start to the game...
We started strongly and stayed strong for nearly 80 minutes. I feel we had a little weaker period at the start of the second half where Man City came out a bit. But overall we had a consistent domination, we won the duels, and overall I believe the result is logical.

on Balotelli's challenge on Song...
If the referee had television [replays] he would have given him a red card. I thought it was a bad tackle, I said to my physio 'what happened to Song?' because he said he was touched at the knee. I thought maybe it was a red card but I didn't know until I saw it.

He [Balotelli] was on the fringe, in many situations, he flirted with orange a few times. In the end he got the second yellow card. I don't know what [I would do with him], I don't know him and it's not my job to do that. I don't want to interfere with Mancini's job. Everybody has his cases in his own camp and I have enough work.

on strengthening their position ahead of Wolves trip...
Exactly. It will be a different game to today. This was a game with a lot of hype and focus, they [Man City] are involved in the championship, we are involved for the Champions League places. You have to deal now with a team that will fight not to go down so it will demand the same commitment. Wolves will fight for their survival and are dangerous as well.

on whether the title race is over...
Not completely. But there are six games to go and Man City are eight points behind so it makes their home game against Manchester United... they cannot afford to drop any points now. Once a team smells the stable they are difficult to catch in the final sprint.

on how different the season could have been...
We have taken 24 points out of 27 and the points we got, many of them were deserved. So we have improved as a team, that is 100 per cent for sure. We started from too deep and we got a blip in January that cost us severely because today we are nine points behind City. You could see that even starting where we started, if we had not lost our games in January we could be there [challenging].

on the prospect of catching Man City...
No, I don't think so, unless they give up, but I don't think they will.

on Samir Nasri's performance...
He had a good first half, then in the second half it was much more difficult for their offensive players because we had so much possession. They had no real opportunities to attack.

Source: Arsenal.com on 8 Apr 12

8 April 2012: Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City, Emirates Stadium

Mikel Arteta fired home a spectacular 87th-minute winner as Arsenal strengthened their grip on third place by beating Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

A game that neither side could afford to draw seemed to be heading precisely that way before the Spaniard robbed David Pizarro, strode forward and beat Joe Hart from 25 yards.

The crucial strike may have come late but, make no mistake, Arsenal entirely deserved their win.

Arsène Wenger’s side dominated pretty much throughout and hit the woodwork through Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott.

Manchester City threatened only briefly at the start of the second half and their title challenge now looks all but over. Their disappointing day ended in dismal fashion when Mario Balotelli was sent off.

Arsenal, however, are now two points clear of Tottenham in third place and, just as importantly, showed no ill-effects from their own disappointment at QPR last weekend.

They hold their future in their own hands – and that is all you can ask for with just six games to go.Wenger made one change from the side that had seen that seven-game winning run end so abruptly at Loftus Road. Aaron Ramsey dropped out and Yossi Benayoun came in.

It meant Arsenal were fielding exactly the same XI that had beaten Tottenham at Emirates Stadium – perhaps the last game of a similar magnitude on this pitch.

This was the final fixture of the first Premier League round over the Easter period. Both sides had work to do.

Arsenal had dropped a place after Tottenham’s draw at Sunderland on Saturday. Subsequent wins by Chelsea and Newcastle had also squeezed the pressure in the race for Champions League football.

Meanwhile, Manchester City came into the game eight points adrift of their cross-town neighbours after the Red Devils had beaten QPR at Old Trafford a few hours earlier.

Mancini had said that, in such circumstances, defeat this afternoon would kill off his side's title chances. It was hard to disagree.

However, they did not start as if their season depended on the 90 minutes that would follow. In fact, Arsenal owned the first 15 minutes. They pressed, pressed and pressed some more.

Tomas Rosicky thumped a shot just wide and the Manchester City defence creaked under the weight of the home side’s persistent, penetrating crosses into the box. Yet they held firm.

However, on the quarter-hour, Arsenal would lend the visitors a helping hand. An unmarked Van Persie met Arteta’s corner at the far post and seemed to have guided the ball into the net. However, the effort hit Thomas Vermaelen’s shoulder and ballooned over the bar.

By then Manchester City had lost Yaya Toure. The powerful midfielder had hurt himself earlier after landing awkwardly from Alex Song’s challenge. He soldiered on but eventually succumbed.

As we passed the halfway point of the first half, Manchester City were finally finding their feet. Balotelli beat Song to Samir Nasri’s low corner but Kieran Gibbs booted the ball away.

Nine minutes from the break, Nasri’s raking long pass sent Balotelli through but Wojciech Szczesny raced out to clear the danger.

However, in terms of possession, territory and attacking intent, the half had belonged to Arsenal with Rosicky and Arteta keeping the midfield engine ticking over nicely.

Meanwhile, centre backs Joleon Lescott and Vincent Kompany had stood out for Manchester City.

That pretty much told you everything about the nature of the opening 45 minutes.

After the restart Manchester City were different. Mancini pushed Sergio Aguero further forward and his team started to impose themselves much more. They had no choice.

Suddenly the visitors were threatening. Szczesny tipped over a looping header from Aguero, and with his first touch after replacing Gibbs, Andre Santos booted the ball clear from the onrushing Gareth Barry.

It was the turn of the Arsenal defence to creak.

But Wenger’s men would soon respond. Benayoun weaved his way through and fired straight at Hart. Then Song produced a trademark chip to the unmarked Van Persie, who guided his header against the base of the post. It was the seventh time the Dutchman had hit the woodwork this season - a tally only bettered by Luis Suarez.

Midway through the half, Laurent Koscielny was booked for a foul on Barry, meaning he will miss the games against Wolves and Wigan.

Kompany nodded the resulting free-kick into the area and Balotelli missed his attempted overhead kick from point-blank range.

Van Persie had the ball in the net soon afterwards but had been flagged for offside long before beating Hart. However, the chance gave Arsenal a little impetus – they needed it.

Fifteen minutes from time, somehow Arsenal failed to break through. Walcott slid a shot against one post, Vermaelen scuffed his chance to convert the rebound and Benayoun stumbled his effort past the other post. Incredible.

However, Arsenal now looked the only side capable of winning this game – and so it proved when Arteta stole the ball, and then the game with his second long-range strike in successive home games.

In the dying minutes, Balotelli received his second yellow card for a lunge on Sagna. Manchester City mustered a response but Arsenal had the clearest chance score again.

Deep into injury time, substitute Aaron Ramsey raced the length of the pitch, beat his marker and seemed set to curl in the second. The Welshman got it all wrong.

However, his team had done quite the opposite in a crucial day in the race for third place.

Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 8 Apr 12

Regenerated Arsenal feel new hope as they prepare for Manchester City

Arsène Wenger's men are enduring another trophy-less season, but recent form means the Champions League is in sight again

Arsène Wenger comes over all wistful when talk of mind games at the Premier League's summit crops up. It is as if the Frenchman is pining for the days when Sir Alex Ferguson's every public utterance at this stage of a season would, in some way, be aimed at undermining his efforts over a title run-in. More recently, Arsenal's manager has felt peripheral, almost forgotten, with Roberto Mancini hogging the barbs from Old Trafford. "Now I observe from the outside, but I would prefer to be in there," he says. "What you want is to be involved in the title race and we are not involved in it. That is basically sad."

It is strange, then, that another trophyless campaign in which Arsenal have not been in contention for the championship at any point actually feels as if it can culminate on a high. Theirs has been a season of extremes, ranging from desperate humiliations endured at Manchester United and Milan, which cast doubt upon the management's philosophy, to the impressive recoveries mounted in the autumn and spring, which have ensured Wenger can still hope to achieve his "basic target" of Champions League qualification. On Sunday Manchester City will confront a side eager to recover momentum after last week's surprising defeat at Loftus Road. Registering a first league win in this corner of north London for 37 years will not be straightforward.

Local optimism owes much to a recent charge, a revival summoned from the anxiety of a two-goal deficit against Tottenham Hotspur at the end of February. Wenger has conceded the five-goal rally that followed helped "to heal some bruises with the fans" and there had been seven successive league wins before the loss at QPR. Although Arsenal have four points fewer than at this stage last season, they rather limped into the summer a year ago. This time, they feel like a team on the charge, meaning – should a position in the top quartet be maintained despite the threat posed by Newcastle and Chelsea – the manager should be building from a position of strength.

A title challenge never materialised, but signs of progress have emerged nonetheless. Robin van Persie is the top flight's most prolific forward and the club hierarchy is convinced he will not depart as he enters the final 12 months of his contract even if, like Samir Nasri before him, he is coveted from afar. The determination to keep the 28-year-old is such that, where the club buckled over Nasri, they would be prepared to hold the Dutchman to his contract, meaning Wenger's close-season preparations should not be disrupted so critically this time around.

This team boast an experienced and impressive spine again with Van Persie, Thomas Vermaelen – last weekend's toils at QPR notwithstanding – Mikel Arteta and Alex Song. In Wojciech Szczesny, at 21, they benefit from a goalkeeper who has excelled consistently to the extent that he now feels a potential fixture for the next decade and around that core others have caught the eye. Laurent Koscielny's development has accelerated, the Frenchman exuding class at the heart of the defence, where he had initially appeared so tentative after his arrival from Lorient. Aaron Ramsey has featured in all but four of the club's league games, proving his fitness and quality, Jack Wilshere should be back for the next campaign, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, flung on for the last 28 minutes of the 8-2 loss at United on his debut, but nurtured thereafter, has shown flashes of dynamism to thrill.

There is encouragement, too, to be drawn from the shift in Wenger's outlook. The early-season struggles and messy divorces with Nasri and Cesc Fábregas forced a change of policy in the transfer market. There had been rushed recruitment at the start of last term, but, this time around, it appears money will be spent on seasoned talent in a more considered way. Arsenal should be in a position in the next few days to confirm Lukas Podolski's £10.9m signing from Köln, the Germany forward due to complete the move formally on July 1, while the highly regarded France international, Yann M'Vila, a player the London club have tracked for some time, will leave Rennes in the summer and has expressed a desire to work with Wenger.

There will be competition for the midfielder's signature, as there will be for Montpellier's prolific Olivier Giroud, whom Arsenal will continue to scout over the season's final weeks. The 25-year-old's goals have helped propel René Girard's side to the top of the French league, but there is a release clause in his contract, set initially at €10m but rising with caps and Champions League qualification, that could be exploited. The prospect of adding further firepower to the ranks, while retaining Van Persie, is an exciting one.

Arsenal's policy, of course, will only be firmed up once they know if Champions or Europa League football awaits next season. "It depends where we finish and how we finish because that will determine what we do during the break," Wenger says. "But what we have delivered in the last two months is positive."

The Frenchman had intimated earlier this term that he would consider his future if it became clear the club had stalled under his stewardship. For periods that scenario had not felt outlandish, yet, at the last, this team has served up genuine reasons for optimism.

Source: Dominic Fifield, The Guardian on 7 Apr 12

London and Manchester: a tale of two cities dominating the Premier League

Twenty years on the top flight has turned many former big hitters into small-town clubs

Every time the hype and anticipation surrounding Spain's El Clásico series of grudge matches starts up in earnest, as it did last week for Barcelona's 2–1 Copa del Rey defeat of Real Madrid, it is remarked rather smugly in this country that at least the Premier League can boast more than two teams capable of winning the title.

That is still just about true, though by common consent – Roberto Mancini, Sir Alex Ferguson, André Villas-Boas and a few others – the number presently stands at three. Viz, the two Manchester sides and Tottenham Hotspur, and even that number may reduce should City open up an eight-point gap over Spurs on Sunday afternoon. The rest of the chasers are already looking at an even bigger chasm to bridge, and as the Manchester United manager said last weekend it would take a collapse by all three teams at the top of the table to give Chelsea and Arsenal a glimmer of hope.

Three teams is only slightly better than two, though what the Premier League can rejoice in and La Liga cannot is that two of those three names are new. Manchester City have not won a league title since 1968, have had 22 managers since Joe Mercer, have been all the way to the third tier of English football and back and were everyone's favourite joke club until three or four years ago. Spurs have never quite gone in for comedy to the same extent but you could have raised a laugh just a few seasons ago with the notion that they would be leading London's challenge for the title with Chelsea and Arsenal floundering in their wake.

So the argument that the Premier League is more competitive than La Liga is not without merit, particularly as Arsenal and Chelsea are still in the Champions League and are still capable of mounting a convincing domestic challenge most seasons, and not forgetting it is less than a month since the bottom-placed team rather grandly prevented United ascending to the top of the table by beating them 3-2 at Old Trafford. There is more to English football than a rivalry between two teams, as is the rather unhealthy case in Spain, though increasingly the Premier League is becoming a tale of two cities.

Consider the facts. In the 20 years of its history, the Premier League has been won only once by a team from outside London or Manchester, and unless Liverpool or Newcastle are going to be absolutely amazing in the coming months, this season will conform to the usual pattern. The only exception to the rule, Blackburn under Jack Walker and Kenny Dalglish, was 18 years ago and acknowledged even at the time to be a one-off, never to be repeated achievement. In the first year of the Premier League Aston Villa were runners-up and Norwich finished third. The next few years saw Blackburn, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Leeds claim what might be termed podium finishes, though since the turn of the century the London-Manchester duopoly has tightened its grip. Only Liverpool, runners-up twice and in third place three times, have managed to get a look-in at the top in the past 11 years, apart from Newcastle, who managed third place in 2003. That means, of 33 possible podium places, only six have ended up outside London or Manchester since the 2000-01 season.

Liverpool and Newcastle, as it happens, are still the likeliest challengers to the duopoly, though not so likely that London or Manchester need be worried. At least not the leading teams in London and Manchester. Arsenal and Chelsea will be well aware that fourth place is still up for grabs, and Liverpool supporters in particular confident that once a toehold in Europe has been gained it can be used as a springboard to much greater glory. But as things stand Dalglish has yet to reverse the slow decline that has been his club's story since they won their last title 22 years ago, and Newcastle have still to prove they can match the standards set under Kevin Keegan and Bobby Robson.

Elsewhere, however, the wastage is even worse. Everton and Leeds, among the last winners of the old First Division title, have slipped well out of contention. Leeds, like Nottingham Forest, have even slipped the odd division. Aston Villa have more in common with Midlands neighbours Wolves and West Brom in fearing relegation more than aspiring to achievement, three Lancashire clubs could easily be relegated – not that Blackburn, Bolton or Wigan have been doing much of late at the other end of the table – and although a certain level of success can presently be claimed at Stoke, Sunderland, Norwich and Swansea it is on a regional rather than national scale. That is not to denigrate the considerable achievements of Tony Pulis, Martin O'Neill, Paul Lambert and Brendan Rodgers, just to point out that it will be a while before they are acclaimed outside the Premier League.

Abroad used to be that England was a country with an astonishing number of professional clubs and an incredible depth to its league system. That largely remains the case, though it is being obscured by the view that London and Manchester are synonymous with English success. The rest of the world can just about grasp that London, as a major capital and population centre, can contain a bewildering number of professional teams, though Spurs joining Arsenal and Chelsea in the Champions League bracket gives it an unusual potency. Manchester is a provincial city – that's why both its teams carry its name – and although United's unparalleled success in the last couple of decades has been the single biggest factor in shutting out the rest of the country, City's wealth now seems likely to continue the process.

For how long is anyone's guess, but the predictions made at the beginning of the Premier League, that it would eventually work against small-town teams and favour big clubs from big cities, appear to be coming true. It is just that 20 years ago no one had Liverpool and Birmingham or Newcastle, Sheffield and Leeds down as small towns. And no one imagined the number of big cities would be just two.

This afternoon's big matches – City v Spurs, Arsenal v United – would have been pretty big at most points in the game's history. London v Manchester has always been a rivalry within the overall context of English football, but where it used to be a subplot, it is now the whole story. It is true that more teams are involved in England, and there is comfort in that, but the situation is not so far removed from Spain that the Premier League can afford to feel smugness or superiority.

Source: Paul Wilson, The Guardian on 21 Jan 12

Not eclipsed by the blue moon

Our last visit to Manchester was forgettable to say the least, and considering the way Manchester City destroyed their neighbours, who had subjected us to the horror of 8-2, fear of a thrashing on Sunday would have been understandable. However the team showed that the horror showing in late August is miles behind them.

Yet us fans were still left frustrated. The performance was very good, although there was a feeling that one, even three, points were there for the taking.

I was worried before the match that I was confident we’d win the game, fearing my confidence could lead to an embarrassing defeat. We definitely weren’t embarrassed, but it seems that all too often in the big games in recent years, we’ve come out of the match with a lot of credit, but no points.

I’ve left it a couple of days to write this as initially after the match I was seriously frustrated and annoyed that we hadn’t got anything from the game. I wasn’t necessarily frustrated at the team, but given how far we’ve come since the start of the season, I thought we deserved to get something from the match. Looking back, there were plenty of positives to take that can give us confidence for the rest of the season, knowing that all the top teams still have to come to the Emirates.

We all know that we’ve had difficulties in defence this season. Part of this has been down to injury. We’ve been unable to consistently select the same players in the same positions as most have been unavailable at different times. Usually, four full backs in a squad should be enough. There’s not much point in moaning at Wenger for not having enough full backs as it’s unprecedented to have all of them out. It came as no surprise that we only conceded when we had to have another defensive reshuffle. Koscielny hadn’t adapted to shifting to right back so was out of position, allowing Balotelli to shoot before Silva subsequently scored. Otherwise, our back line did a good job against the expensive strike force.

Thomas Vermaelen was superb. He could probably play anywhere and have a good game. Plus he was unlucky not to score the equaliser late on. To have a defender with the ability to shoot from distance like that is fantastic. As much as it’s frustrating to have another injury with Djourou out, I’m glad Vermaelen will be back in the middle as he’s able to dominate in the air there and is more dangerous attacking centrally than when he’s at full back. Behind him, Wojciech Szczesny made some excellent saves. Joe Hart grabbed most of the headlines, but some of Szczesny’s stops were just as difficult, yet the Pole made them look like easy and regulation ones. The smothering stop from Balotelli in the first half was particularly impressive.

Mikel Arteta was excellent in midfield. He might not be showing the attacking flare and be playing up behind Robin van Persie as we all expected him to do when he signed, but the work he does for the team has been invaluable. His reading of the game and conducting of the play from deep has been integral to our improvement, and he was definitely unlucky to be on the losing side on Sunday. He just keeps the team ticking over in midfield and never has a bad game.

The other player that impressed me on Sunday was Gervinho. He’s divided some opinions amongst Arsenal fans this season, but he wasn’t afraid to try and take on arguably the best right back this season in the Premier League in Micah Richards. He was a constant threat and has been a big part of our subtle change of style this season. The team have been looking to attack with more pace by utilising Walcott and Gervinho, and but for some of his finishing, I’ve been impressed with how the Ivorian has adapted to the pace of the Premier League. He’ll be a big miss when he’s at the African Cup of Nations.

Obviously to win the big games, along with playing well, you need some luck. We didn’t get it when van Persie was deemed to be offside before chipping the ball over Hart, or when Micah Richards handled in the box. The offside was marginal, and the handball could have been seen as accidental, but on another day both would have gone in our favour.

There were some causes for concern. Theo Walcott wasn’t as effective as he has been in recent weeks as he was doubled up by Zabaleta and Kompany. He also wasn’t helped by not having an attacking full back behind him to support him and runs forward so as not to be isolated. Also, our attacking substitutes that came on didn’t add anything to the team. Chamakh did win a free-kick from Richards, but didn’t look much of a threat in the box, whilst the less said about Andrey Arshavin the better. I’ll be very surprised if both are Arsenal players this time next year. A striker must be a priority in January, whilst Arshavin needs to seriously re-find his mojo for when Gervinho is playing in the African Cup of Nations. Hopefully we’ll see a bit more of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain during the busy next two months.

Despite the result, we have to take the positives from Sunday. It was the first time that Manchester City were really attacked at home this season, and it’s been rare for opposing teams to have more possession than them this season. Despite City naming him as man of the match, Nasri was pretty ordinary, his pass for Balotelli near the end was woeful when he should have given the Italian a tap-in. Whereas the side used to have a number of egos like Nasri, I think the current team are much more together, and will be able to bounce back from the setback.

That’s the challenge for the team now. The Manchester City match was deeply frustrating because we played well, but we have to look forward and make sure our form doesn’t collapse because of it. The busy Christmas period could be just what we need to get the defeat out of the system, but equally, it can be the worst time to hit a poor run of form because the games appear so quickly after each other.

Aston Villa might be going through a rough patch themselves and are playing some indifferent football, however Villa Park is never an easy place to get three points from. A win on Wednesday is vital to set us up for the Christmas period as another poor result could see our form spiral downwards. It would be a massive shame to see the hard work the club have put in this season be undone, and I think this current team are made of sterner stuff. Now they have to prove it on Wednesday. Whilst we held our own on Sunday and could be proud of performance, we need points.

Source: Sam Limbert, ESPN Soccernet on 20 Dec 11

Manchester City grind any doubts about their resolve into the dust

After a first hint of adversity Roberto Mancini's team showed their mettle against Arsenal to keep their flawless home record

Roberto Mancini imposed only one special restriction on his players as they arrived at their five-star hotel on the eve of Sunday's match. "It was forbidden to bring with them fireworks," he said, clearly with Mario Balotelli's recent exploits in mind. The Roman candles and Catherine wheels were to be saved for the game itself, an affair of whooshes and starbursts in which Manchester City beat Arsenal by the only goal, thus putting their recent troubles firmly behind them.

After making their exit from Europe's top competition, then losing to Chelsea in the Premier League and seeing their local rivals briefly o'erleap them in the table on Sunday afternoon, City responded by hauling themselves back into the top spot. They will defend it‚ along with their flawless home record this season‚ against Stoke City on Wednesday in an attempt to be No1 at Christmas for the first time, historians say, since 1929.

Mancini laughed when he heard that on Sunday night but in the City manager's response to a question about Manchester United there was a serious acknowledgment of the direction from which he expects the main threat to come. "United are a strong team," he said. "We can't think we can win the title without fighting against them." On Sunday, in a match they might easily not have won, they showed the strength of their resistance to the season's first real hint of adversity.

As has become customary, the match was preceded by yet another marvellous story about Balotelli, who was said to have been spotted in the centre of Manchester on Saturday, wearing a blue Father Christmas costume and handing out bank notes. His manager could neither confirm nor deny the rumour. "I don't know," he said. "With Mario it's possible."

Balotelli, whose commitment was the equal of that of any player in an unremittingly intense game, took the pitch in SuperMario guise and saved his biggest and best Roman candle for the 53rd minute. Making the most of a defensive realignment forced on Arsenal by the departure of Johan Djourou two minutes into the second half, he advanced on to Samir Nasri's pass into acres of untenanted space on the left of the visitors' penalty area.

Shuffling towards the covering Alex Song, he suddenly darted inside his opponent and hit a fierce low shot which Wojciech Szczesny could only parry to Sergio Agüero, whose header across goal was prodded in by David Silva.

The game might have had half a dozen goals but there was no shortage of entertainment for the 47,303 in the ground and the millions watching around the world, who saw two of England's top sides produce yet another of this season's apparently endless string of absolute crackers. No 8-2 or 6-1 or 3-5, maybe, but nevertheless a classic of aggressive attacking football from both sides, the score restricted to a single goal by magnificent defending, particularly from the home side, and heroic performances from both goalkeepers.

Mancini sent City out in a 4-4-2 formation, with Balotelli and Agüero in partnership up front while David Silva and Samir Nasri attempted to pull at the loose threads in Arsenal's much‑darned defence.

The absence of four full‑backs forced Arsène Wenger to select a defence consisting of four central defenders, with Djourou and Thomas Vermaelen on the flanks, and when the Swiss defender had to be withdrawn, the only available replacement was another centre‑back, the 19-year-old Ignasi Miquel.

The newcomer went to left‑back, Vermaelen moved into the middle, Laurent Koscielny‚ outstanding in the first period‚ was switched to right-back, and they were still sorting themselves out when Balotelli, Agüero and Silva combined to strike what turned out to be the fatal blow.

The thrilling saves were evenly distributed, Joe Hart's from Gervinho, Robin van Persie and Vermaelen matched by Szczesny's stops from Balotelli and Agüero (twice), and so were the grievances. City felt that Mikel Arteta should have been given a second yellow card for clipping Gareth Barry barely a minute after being cautioned for tripping Yaya Touré, with a quarter of an hour to go.

Van Persie's chip over Hart was ruled offside by the finest of decisions in the 56th minute and the Arsenal captain was adamant that Micah Richards had stopped Koscielny's cross with his arm in the penalty area in the 78th minute.

Nasri, facing his former team-mates, was the sponsors' man of the match but dispassionate observers would have put his neat display some way behind the contributions of Hart, Kompany and particularly Pablo Zabaleta. Invited to switch to left-back in the absence of Gaël Clichy, the Argentinian blotted out Theo Walcott so thoroughly that the removal of the Arsenal winger after 70 minutes constituted the least surprising substitution of the season. Walcott's ineffectiveness was almost equalled by that of Aaron Ramsey, the team's only other British player.

The raised fist with which Zabaleta greeted the final whistle symbolised the unyielding attitude brought to the match by the whole City team, who took any doubts that might have arisen in the past 10 days and ground them to dust. Now for Stoke.

Source: Richard Williams, The Guardian on 18 Dec 11

Manchester City and Arsenal prove masters of cunning not crosses

Arsenal came away empty-handed from the Etihad Stadium but a game of patience and subtlety was a joy to watch

This developed into a wonderfully exhilarating game as Arsenal responded to Manchester City's goal with great resilience. The visitors had started with confidence as well, buoyed by a recent improvement which had carried them through eight matches without defeat, including three successive away wins.

But with David Silva coming off the line and finding space, City always offered the greater goal threat. City's best chances tended to fall to Sergio Agüero, having been created when Silva or Samir Nasri slipped the ball beyond Arsenal's back four. Wojciech Szczesny needed to be alert.

Thomas Vermaelen directed Arsenal's defence as they maintained a solid shape. The first half saw little raiding by their full-backs, as they concentrated on counteracting those shallow runs from Agüero and Mario Balotelli. Soon after half-time Johan Djourou, part of Arsenal's last, disastrous visit to Manchester, departed, which allowed Vermaelen to join Per Mertesacker in the centre. Ignasi Miquel came on at left‑back and his acclimatisation was hardly helped by Roberto Mancini's decision to switch Nasri to the right, where he slowly blossomed.

Balotelli's powerful movement, driving inside Alex Song and belting goalwards, gave Silva a simple chance to break the deadlock. Ebb and flow now, a warm game on a cold day. Defenders on both sides were a little nervous about tackling players with excellent touch.

What the match proved beyond doubt was that you do not have to get balls wide, or deliver incessant crosses, to create excitement or goal chances. Disregarding Joe Hart, the City goalkeeper, there were just three Englishmen on the field in this key period of the game. So it was perhaps unsurprising that there was little sign of that classic British tradition of throwing crosses into the box from wide positions. This was a game of high-speed attack and counterattack, and of subtle passing in threatening areas. Players from both sides, including Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey and Robin van Persie, patiently waited before sliding in colleagues for goal chances. There were few, if any, high and hopeful "fight balls" sent "into the mixer". Inventive players were key, people with the imagination and the vision to play a clever pass. This was a match to stir the memories of anyone old enough to have seen Johnny Haynes bisecting defenders to the exact blade of grass.

Hart was called on to respond magnificently to Vermaelen's late shot as Arsenal pressed in the closing minutes. The game will be remembered for the exquisite tight passing of City, and Arsenal's collective tenacity as they strove for an equaliser but most of all for the foreign brigade giving us a lesson in how to be patient yet progressive in the search of goals. For these teams, the game is all about cunning rather than crossing.

Source: David Pleat, The Guardian on 18 Dec 11

Manchester City v Arsenal: five things we learned

Manchester City showed they can handle pressure while Arsenal have clearly improved since their last trip to Manchester

Manchester City made their point
Nobody should question their nerve. Losing to Chelsea had been enough for Alan Hansen to talk on Match of the Day of a set of players that were going through their "blip". Roberto Mancini's team played as though affronted by the suggestion that they might be showing signs of strain. They did not reach their most exhilarating levels, Samir Nasri's man-of-the-match award seemed generous in the extreme and they found Arsenal difficult opponents but they still controlled large swaths of the match. Tuesday marks the point when they will be a year unbeaten at home, a run that incorporates 26 wins out of 28 matches and gives the Etihad Stadium legitimate credentials to be recognised as the most formidable stadium in the country. They have registered their first clean sheet in the league since 1 October and, in the process, they ensured that Manchester United's excursion to the top of the Premier League was only a brief one.

Arsenal take dignity in defeat
The last time they were in Manchester they sieved eight goals and the experience was chastening enough to harden the debate about whether the Arsène Wenger era gets the happy ending it deserves. Three months on this was another unhappy trip north but there was dignity in the defeat. Just because a team lose does not mean they played badly and, while Arsenal ultimately came up short, they were probably the best league team to come to the Etihad this season. They had togetherness, an order, the sense of a team that once again knows where it wants to be. They have lost twice now to City in three weeks, so there is a clear gulf between the sides. They are also relying too much on Robin van Persie's goals but equally they can reflect on how far they have come since that 8-2 embarrassment at Old Trafford and realise they are heading in the right direction. It was noticable that Wenger praised the performance. "We can take encouragement but what we need is encouragement and points," he said.

Praise for an unsung hero
Roberto Mancini is entitled to be concerned about the amount of time Yaya Touré will be away for the Africa Cup of Nations but Gareth Barry is doing his best to show City are hardly short of solid central midfielders. Barry has become one of the club's unsung heroes and at times in his first two years in Manchester, when his performances have loitered around six out of 10, he has invited legitimate questions about his value to the team. But this season he has shifted a few of those questions. Barry does all the muck-and-nettles stuff associated with being a holding midfielder but he is not restricted to winning the ball and laying it off and his pass in the ninth minute to send Pablo Zabaleta clear on the left was one of the game's outstanding moments.

Theo Walcott wasted his moment to shine
This should have been a day when Walcott reminded us how devastating his pace can be. Gaël Clichy's suspension meant he was facing Pablo Zabaleta, an accomplished full-back with caps for Argentina, but hardly known for his mobility and susceptible at times to fast, direct wingers. Yet the outstanding Zabaleta won the contest with an ease that will dismay Wenger. Walcott is still only 22 and, at that age, it is only normal there will be times when he is erratic and frustrating. Even so, it was disappointing to see him drifting to the edges of the game. He was a substitution waiting to happen and it was surprising he lasted to the 70th minute.

Mario Balotelli can manage a day without controversy
For City the most galling part of Mario Balotelli's latest bit of training-ground aggro was the way it was misconstrued in some quarters as a sign that they were fragile mentally in the wake of losing to Chelsea. For the record Balotelli's previous misdemeanours have all occurred when the previous matches ended in victory (this being his fourth incident of this type in a year). The lad, in other words, just likes the occasional barney. It can be exasperating, amusing and bewildering all at once but this is the weird and wacky world of Mario Balotelli and what really matters is whether he is contributing on the football pitch. It was his run and shot that led to David Silva's winner and, by Balotelli's standards, there were only brief complaints when he was substituted. Afterwards Mancini was asked about rumours that Balotelli, dressed in a Santa outfit, had spent Saturday night driving round Manchester giving money to homeless people. "With Mario, it's possible," he replied.

Source: Daniel Taylor, The Guardian on 18 Dec 11

Roberto Mancini praises Manchester City's 'important' win over Arsenal

Roberto Mancini believes his Manchester City side proved an important point about their competitive spirit by beating Arsenal to reclaim top spot in the Premier League from Manchester United.

David Silva's 52nd-minute winner means City are now unbeaten at home for a year and will lead the way at Christmas for the first time since 1929 if they beat Stoke City at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

Manchester United's 2-0 win at Queens Park Rangers earlier in the day had briefly put them top, and Mancini praised his team for their response. "For our character, this was a big test and we showed we are a strong team," he said.

"It was very important for us after the Chelsea game. In football every team loses eventually and it is the reaction to losing that separates good teams from others. We wanted to go back to the top but we also know that the season is long, and we can't win the title without having a fight with United.

"We know, too, there might be times when we are second but the important thing is where we finish and we have not lost any of our belief or confidence. We want to stay top for a long time now, not only for Christmas."

United's brief excursion to the top had been the first time since 15 October that City had dropped below their neighbours. "The important thing is to be there on New Year's Day," Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, said after goals from Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick had helped the champions to a sixth win in seven league games. "If you're involved right at the top part then you know the second half of the season – we'll relish that."

For Arsène Wenger, though, there was an acceptance that his team are now out of the title race. "It was a game we couldn't afford to lose," Arsenal's manager said. "If we had won, the gap would have come down to six points and we would have players coming back from injury for the second half of the season."

Asked if that meant he was ruling out any chance of emulating their 12-point deficit to overtake United and win the title in 1998, he said: "At the moment, yes. It will be difficult to close the gap but we will keep trying."

Wenger felt his team were "unlucky" after a Robin van Persie goal was disallowed because of a contentious offside decision, and they could also have had a penalty for Micah Richards's handball. "I haven't seen it but Van Persie is adamant," Wenger said. "He says it was a 100% penalty."

Mancini, however, argued that it was a fair result. "I think we deserved to win," he said. "It was a good performance and for Arsenal, 12 points behind us, 10 behind United, seven behind Spurs, it is difficult for them now."

Source: Daniel Taylor, The Guardian on 18 Dec 11

Manchester City return to the top as David Silva goal sinks Arsenal

A club on course for the Premier League title must employ a variety of means. Manchester City, beaten at Chelsea in their last outing, could not show all of their previous wealth of creativity against a good and stubborn Arsenal side, but they did prevail deservedly through a David Silva goal and returned to the Premier League summit. Arsenal themselves were determined despite being pinned down for periods. City had twitches late in the match when the ball came off the arm of Micah Richards inside their penalty area, but the contact had been accidental.

There was greater alarm for the hosts when Thomas Vermaelen's fine drive from the edge of the penalty area had to be put over the bar with an outstanding save by Joe Hart in the 90th minute. Despite that, the gravity of this fixture had mostly prevented spirits from soaring. Each team looked as if it was burdened by seriousness. City strove to underline their intent all over again after the woe at Stamford Bridge and Arsenal wanted to show the effectiveness that has characterised them after the troubled start to the campaign.

It ought not to have been a surprise that, at the interval, there had been three bookings but no goals. If Arsenal had two of those yellow cards it reflected the fact that the pressure was on them, if only because City were bent on proving that they could recreate their fluency after that first league defeat at Chelsea. City did that to an extent, but Arsenal had more persistence than anticipated in defence even if the lack of available full-backs required Johan Djourou and Vermaelen, customarily centre-backs, to fill those posts.

It was the contribution of the goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, that did most to leave the match goalless at the interval when he blocked an effort after Mario Balotelli had got behind the Arsenal centre-back Per Mertesacker in the 24th minute. The visitors, unlike City, remain in the Champions League and perhaps the endurance shown in the early exchanges helps to explain that. Arsenal also found moments of encouragement, but much of their energy still went into defending.

The goalkeeping was repeatedly excellent, but City could not be denied indefinitely. After 52 minutes, Balotelli was unmarked on the left and ran free for a drive into the six-yard box that broke free for Silva to escape the close attentions of Vermaelen and put City into the lead from close range.

Samir Nasri, facing his former club, could not quite set up chances, but that hardly mattered. Pablo Zabaleta came close to providing a second goal for City when hitting the post in the 67th minute. City, however, were ultimately relieved just to come through a late onslaught to instantly regain their place at the top of the table from Manchester United.

Source: Kevin McCarra, The Guardian on 18 Dec 11

City deal blow to resurgent Gunners

Exit Arsenal. A title challenge that appeared to have ended in ignominy on their last trip to Manchester is all but over after their return. But a departure in December, rather than during their awful August - and following an unfortunate 1-0 defeat, rather than the historic humiliation of an 8-2 thrashing - means they can take their leave rather more respectably. Another piece of silverware is set to elude them but, after seven wins and a draw in the eight preceding games, pride has been restored.

The conclusions drawn were the product of mathematics alone, rather than the damning verdicts on Arsene Wenger's side that summer produced. "It will be difficult to close a gap on City now," the Frenchman said, while Roberto Mancini added: "[They are] 12 points behind us, ten points behind United, seven points behind Tottenham. It is difficult for them."

It is a description that applies to the context and their afternoon at the Etihad Stadium alike. Arsenal's adaptability has been tested in adversity. In the process, they have revealed an unlikely, retro look. Wenger is a manager who has reinvented and rebranded an entire club. He is the clean break from history, not the link to it. There are contrasts with his predecessors, not comparisons. So while his tactic of fielding four central defenders was an approach that would surely earn an approving nod from George Graham, even then it was enforced by the absence of fit full-backs.

But as Arsenal's renaissance came to a halt, it was because of the introduction of a fifth central defender. Or, more to the point, the need for one. The makeshift right-back Johan Djourou's groin problem necessitated the introduction of Ignasi Miquel on the left. Five minutes later, with Arsenal still adjusting, a previously dependable defence was breached. David Silva scored the goal that restored City to the top of the Premier League.

"We were a bit unlucky with the fact we had to reshuffle completely at the back in a position where we were short," Wenger said. "I did feel at half-time we would win the game if we could stay stable at the back." They couldn't. Djourou limped off and Laurent Koscielny, surging alongside Sergio Aguero in a series of sprints, was shifted to the right. While he was caught out of position, Mario Balotelli exploited the space to shoot, Wojciech Szczesny parried, Aguero headed the ball up in the air and Silva applied the decisive touch.

It was the turning point. Yet, while City fielded £38 million of former Arsenal players, even the economist argued that this was the product not of prudence or poverty but of simple ill-fortune. "It is not only down to resources," Wenger added. "You cannot buy 17 full-backs anyway." A 25-man squad would have an unusual look if anyone did.

"I think we were really unlucky with decisions," Wenger said, reflecting upon the moment Micah Richards handled and the marginal offside decision given against Robin van Persie. Joe Hart thwarted Arsenal, too, although Szczesny also stopped City from scoring more - indeed, each manager praised the opposing goalkeeper, the sort of compliment intended to highlight the number of chances they created. Darting hither and thither, Aguero was the major threat, but the Argentine who came closest to scoring was Pablo Zabaleta, who drilled a shot against the post.

"It was a game that could have gone both ways," Wenger argued. Nevertheless, it was a fine response by City, under increased scrutiny after being defeated by Chelsea and, when United beat QPR, briefly losing the lead of the division. "After Chelsea, it was really important to beat Arsenal and to go again to the top of the table," Mancini said.

For Arsenal, the significant spot is fourth. Chelsea are its occupants, three points ahead of them. One was almost secured with a final flourish as central defenders almost proved their salvation. Initially left-back, then used in the middle and finally adopting a roving brief, Thomas Vermaelen struck two lovely long-range efforts. Hart saved one while the other went narrowly wide.

This is a centre-back capable of stroking shots from 30 yards. More Wenger's type of defender than Graham's, he missed the 8-2 at Old Trafford and has returned for the revival. "I feel the team has made a lot of progress since August and they can be proud of it," Wenger said, "but this was a game we could not afford to lose." The consequences were clear to him, and to others. The Invincibles will remain Arsenal's last champions for at least another year.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Pablo Zabaleta
The right-back deployed on the left - Arsenal are not alone in missing full-backs - got the better of Theo Walcott and advanced to provide both a wonderful cross for Aguero and a shot that struck the post. He also helped City keep a first clean sheet in nine league games.

MANCHESTER CITY VERDICT
The result was the all-important thing, but the performance was positive in an open game. City created several excellent opportunities and, with Edin Dzeko on the bench, prioritised pace and movement. The choice of Kolo Toure ahead of Joleon Lescott was a surprise, but the elusive clean sheet was achieved.

ARSENAL VERDICT
This was a rare game in which Van Persie did not score - though he finished superbly when adjudged offside - but the arrivals of Andrei Arshavin and Marouane Chamakh showed the department of the side Wenger wants to strengthen in January. He denied that midfielder Yohan Gourcuff will join on loan, and other attackers are wanted, but the performance drew praise from the manager, and rightly so. They are a much-improved team.

MARIO CHRISTMAS
There were reports that Balotelli had dressed as Father Christmas and gone around Manchester handing out presents. Mancini, well accustomed to the madness of his protégé, was bemused but did not deny them. "With Mario, it is possible," he said. With Mario, most things are, although the player himself denied it via the press officer soon afterwards.

Source: Richard Jolly, ESPN Soccernet on 18 Dec 11

Wenger's reaction to the Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal match

on a tight game...
I think it was a game that could have gone both ways. It was very intense with both teams going for it and I feel as well that we were a bit unlucky. Their keeper had a good game and we were a bit unlucky with the fact that we had to reshuffle completely at the back in a position where we are already short - we paid too much for that.

Overall I did feel at half-time that we would win the game if we stayed stable at the back. We lacked a bit of accuracy with our final ball in the final third as well because we had a few opportunities where we didn't pass the ball well. But overall we had a very positive performance, great spirit, quality, but we lacked a little bit of what is vital in the big games.

on resources...
I must say we have four full backs out and the first injury we get in the game is a full back. It's not only down to resources, you cannot buy 17 full backs anyway. That is why I think we were a bit unlucky today.

on penalty claims against Richards...
Yes [I thought it was a penalty]. Honestly I haven't seen it but Van Persie is adamant it was a 100 per cent penalty.

on Van Persie's offside 'goal'...
I haven't seen it again but we know that these decisions can turn the game and they didn't go for us today. We were unlucky with the decisions but we have to take it on the chin.

on the title race...
Unfortunately for us it was a game that we couldn't afford to lose because it puts us too much [behind Man City]. If we had won the game we would have come back to six points and with players coming back like our full backs and Wilshere and Diaby - we will have a better squad in the second half of the season. At the moment we are too far behind.

on Chamakh and Arshavin...
You can only try and they tried. They had chances, I think Arshavin had two good chances, Chamakh had very little time to have an impact on the game. We played at the end with four strikers, Ramsey and Arteta in midfield, so you know that when you lose the ball you could be in trouble every time. But we still had the chances to score. Even Vermaelen, at the end, I thought the ball was in when he hit it twice, the free kick first and then the one he hit outside the box.

on closing the gap on City...
It will be difficult to close the gap but we will try. This is a game we couldn't afford to lose and that's why it's very difficult to take. On the other hand we will continue to fight, there is a lot of positives. The team has made a lot of progress since August and they can be proud of it. The team has a fantastic spirit, we have shown that again today, and let's hope we can continue our progress and get closer to City.

on encouraging signs...
It is encouraging but at the moment we need encouragement and points, and we got only encouragement.

on the transfer window...
We hope to have Wilshere and Diaby back so in midfield we have the numbers required. But at the moment we are short at the back and if Gervinho and Chamakh go to the Africa Cup of Nations we are short up front more than midfield.

on Djourou's injury...
It is a groin problem. Usually that is 21 days.

Source: Arsenal.com on 18 Dec 11