Arsenal Vs Manchester City: Recap, Highlights And Analysis

Arsenal welcomed Manchester City to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Here’s the full recap, all the highlights and analysis from the 3-3 draw.

A frustrating but important draw for Arsenal. After falling behind twice in the game, they hauled their way back into the tie thanks to goals from Theo Walcott and Shkodran Mustafi. While it was a shame in failing to secure the three points not losing was equally influential.

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The first half started in typically depressing fashion for the Gunners. Amid an atmosphere that was clearly tense, with every misplaced pass met with a disparaging grown from around the ground, it Manchester City that took the lead in rather simple fashion.

A slid ball in behind the Arsenal back four exposed Hector Bellerin to the pace of left-winger Leroy Sane – the Spaniard has most certainly lost a step since returning from injury earlier in the season – and the German, in a calm fashion far beyond what his years would belie, rounded the onrushing David Ospina and simply placed the ball into the gaping net, past the sliding Shkodran Mustafi.

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However, while City did get the early lead, it was Arsenal that proceeded to dominate the game. The high pressing tactic that served them so well early in the season was resurrected and they pressurised the City passing game, even moving Pep Guardiola, the man who is insistent on keeping the ball at all costs, to encourage his goalkeeper to ‘kick it long’.

The deserved equaliser did indeed come. After a deflected cross was poorly cleared, and Mustafi headed the ball back into the penalty area, seeing it fall to the feet of Theo Walcott, who poked home into the bottom corner.

However, in true Arsenal fashion where the mental fortitude matches the strength of soggy toilet roll, within 91 seconds of hauling their way back into the match, they were once again behind. This time, it was the fault of almost everybody. Mesut Ozil poorly gave the ball away, Bellerin was done in by a Kevin De Bruyne one-two, Nacho Monreal was outsmarted by David Silva and Sergio Aguero beat David Ospina to the near post shot.

The second half started in a worrying manner for Arsenal with City pressing them high up the pitch, giving the ball away regularly and conceding some decent opportunities,  the most significant of which was a clear header for Sergio Aguero which was planted just past the post.

There were, though, signs of life at the other end, signs that bloomed into a reality. A Mesut Ozil corner, which was not particularly special, found the head of Shkodran Mustafi, who glanced an excellent header past the outstretched Willy Caballero. It was a crucial goal for the Gunners that set up an exhilarating close to the tie.

The closing stages of the game, however, did not boast the drama that was perhaps anticipated. Aguero had another missed header, Iwobi fired a shot over the bar and Sane continued to engineer openings down the City left flank.

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It was a good draw for a side who could not afford to lose. While failing to win certainly leaves them in an uncertain position in the league table, this was a ‘must-not-lose’ tie and Arsenal didn’t lose… just.

Highlights

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