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Arsenal’s title hopes were given a rude awakening at the Etihad when they were crushed mercilessly by the increasingly rampaging Manchester City. It was a reality check for anyone that believed that this year’s title race was predictable so early on.
While most of us neutrals didn’t expect Arsenal to fold like they did, there were basic flaws in the execution of their game plan that led City to bulldoze through the current league leaders. The score line in a sense did not reflect the game in all honesty; they were too many high profile individual errors that cost both teams.
22 | Total Shots | 12 |
7 | Shots on Target | 6 |
85% | Pass Success | 85% |
53% | Aerial Success | 47% |
17 | Dribbles | 10 |
20 | Tackles | 20 |
53% | Possession | 47% |
Arsenal’s tough trip to Napoli didn’t yield any positives barring just about securing Champions League qualification. The unkind schedule playing 2 games in 3 days both hundreds of miles away clearly affected Arsene Wenger’s team selection with Santi Cazorla and Kieran Gibbs both missing out; their absence yesterday clearly showing. Jack Wilshere replaced Cazorla on the left with Theo Walcott making his first start in ages on the right. Mesut Ozil who had a torrid time in Naples needed to step up but didn’t.
Manchester City relishing their recent win at the Allianz Arena was the team to look out for especially at home where they have been scoring at will. They failed to disappoint.
Manchester City’s two defensive midfielders were immense and completely bullied the Arsenal midfield. The onus was on Mathieu Flamini who on the day was sub standard. Fernandinho in particular was having a stellar game driving forward and creating things helping Man City attack through the centre exposing Arsenal’s lack of genuine powerhouses in the centre to screen the back four.City was balanced in their attack while Arsenal was restricted to a through ball/ crossing game early on, extensively using Theo Walcott and Bacary Sagna.
The absence of Gibbs and the in effectiveness of Nacho Monreal and Jack Wilshere going forward meant Arsenal were one dimensional in their attack.
Point of attack
CITY : (Balanced in transition) ARSENAL : (Reliant on the right)Left side ?37 % Right side ? 52 %Middle ? 30 % Middle ? 26 %Right Side ? 33 % Left Side ? 22 %
The changes introduced by Arsene Wenger in the second half switching to a flat 4-3-3 system with Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey in the centre proved disastrous as they were simply unable to cope with the power and pace of Fernandhino and Yaya Toure. Wilshere who was having a terrible game himself (his worst performance of the season) was dismal on the left and pathetic in the middle of the park, his game ridden with errors, some of which resulted in City goals.
Shots on goal
Zabaleta was allowed to bomb down the right flank.
CITY : Left Side ? 5 %Middle ? 77 %Right Side ? 18 %
Wilshere must face severe criticism in his ineffectiveness to deal with Pablo Zabaleta’s surging runs down the right flank leaving Nacho Monreal exposed on several occasions. Zabaleta also assisted one goal. Jack provided no width to Arsenal’s attack, didn’t put even one cross in from a wide position and lost the ball on too many occasions. Wilshere was also credited with an error that lead to the Fernandhino toe poke past Wojciech Szczesny.
Mesut Ozil was dismal as well failing to put in a single accurate cross, not a single accurate through ball and was left wanting when his error in possession resulted in a City goal.
Wenger’s insistence to keep Wilshere for 90 minutes is puzzling considering his terrible performance and the fact that he had two exciting playmakers on the bench in Tomas Rosicky and Cazorla; both of whom could have brought in a creative guile to a lack luster Arsenal midfield also allowing Ozil to try and find runners. He instead chose to put on Gnabry on the right to whip in crosses against what looked like a comfortable back two in Vincent Kompany and Martin Demichelis.
City’s shape throughout the first half (attacking the right). A back four(26, 4) with advancing full backs(5, 22) and a midfield that squeezed Arsenal in the centre.(Numbers indicate player jersey numbers)
David Silva (21), Alvaro Negredo(9), Samir Nasri (8) often drifted into the centre to trouble Arsenal’s midfield transition.
Manchester City’s formation from the outset preferred to squeeze Arsenal’s midfield quartet of Ozil, Ramsey, Flamini and Wilshere restricting Ozil to drift wide into positions to receive the ball, switching Arsenal’s style to a crossing game/ through balls clipped over City’s back four.
Arsenal’s conventional shape was their undoing.(attacking the left) This was their team shape right at the beginning which was later altered by City tactics. (Numbers indicate player jerseys)
Arsenal on the other hand started the game with a conventional shape restricting themselves to long balls played to Olivier Giroud(12) when Arsenal started from the back and the occasional dink over the defense to a diagonal run by Theo Walcott(14) who constantly drifted into a center forward position. Nacho Monreal(17) at left back was exposed by Wilshere’s(10) terrible defensive work on numerous occasions as City’s attacking forces exploited the space out wide.Flamini(20) found it very difficult to cope with the sheer size and shape of City’s defensive midfielders.
This shape by Arsenal allowed a squeezed City with technically gifted players in Nasri, Silva, Toure and Fernandhino to over haul Aaron Ramsey(16) and Mesut Ozil(11), Arsenal’s main threatening forces. With Wilshere contributing nothing to Arsenal’s offensive transition, Wenger needed to change things quickly but didn’t.
Key passes from key attacking players
Bacary Sagna – 3 | Samir Nasri – 7 |
Aaron Ramsey – 1 | Yaya Toure – 3 |
Theo Walcott – 2 | David Silva – 3 |
Mesut Ozil – 2 | Negredo – 1 |
Jack Wilshere – 1 | Aguero – 1 |
| Milner – 1 |
| Navas – 1 |
Total Key Passes (including others):
Manchester City- 20
Arsenal – 11
The bottom line remains that Manchester City was simply better on the day in every department. There was no tactical revelation that exposed Arsenal but errors and increasingly petulant players that led to the humiliating loss.
Maneul Pelligrini though must be credited with the introduction of Jesus Navas and James Milner when Arsenal switched to the 4-3-3 system opting to play a tired trio of Ozil, Ramsey and Wilshere in the middle and Nicklas Bendtner, Walcott and Serge Gnabry up front.
Pellegrini’s choice to put on fresh legged natural wide men paid its dividends by keeping the Arsenal full backs in check and providing options for the counter attack.
Both wingers finished with a key pass each, Milner winning a penalty and Navas setting up a goal to kill off what looked like at the time, a resurgent Arsenal.
Manchester City under Pellegrini look brutal, classy and ruthless at the same time. The manager’s tactical acumen combined with the sheer tenacity, efficiency, variety and talent of his squad was too much for the league leaders.
Arsenal were simply not good enough.
