Arsenal Vs Manchester City: Petr Cech adds some much-needed context

Arsenal fell to Manchester City on Sunday in what was a predicted defeat. While disappointing, context is required, context that is, thankfully, provided by Petr Cech.

Before the weekend’s trip to the Etihad Stadium, for Arsenal’s apparent title challenge, which was already somewhat in the balance, to be vindicated, justified and, ultimately, enjoyed, they had to overcome their league-leading opponents.

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Manchester City have started the season in truly blistering form. Of their first 10 games, they had won nine, drawn one, amassing a ridiculous goal difference of plus 29. They were very quickly accelerating out of reach of everyone else, including Arsenal. But as we all know, Arsenal would not be able to compete with their hosts.

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City were the superior team on Sunday. Pep Guardiola’s possession-based dominance, complemented by their suffocating pressing game without the ball allowed them to control the game with great command and authority. And because of that perceived inferiority, many Arsenal fans have been highly critical of the team and of the performance. But I feel that a little context is required.

After the game, Petr Cech revealed that he felt that, at time, he and his teammates matched City, if only for periods of the game. He also admitted that City have great quality in striking areas, and, sometimes, you simply have to accept the betterment of the opposition. Here is an extract of his post-match interview:

"“We had passages of play where we matched them, controlled the ball and looked dangerous. But inevitably they have a huge quality up front and when they managed to find the right passes and the right movement, they created some opportunities. At 2-1, I thought that we were going to get something out of it.”"

I certainly have sympathy with Cech’s viewpoint. City are the best team in the country right now. In fact, on current form, they might well be the best team in the world, and although they are the competition that Arsenal must challenge for the title, given the disparity in investment, facilities, and resultant quality of personnel, an element of realism must be adopted. City are a very, very good football team.

Cech is also, right, however, when he protests that they did have passages of play where they matched their opponents. Unfortunately, these moments were too infrequent, too fleeting, too short-lived, and they could not be consistently replicated. But that does not mean they never happened.

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Yes, City were much the better side on Sunday. And yes, the Gunners deserved to lose the game. Comfortably. And yes, their hoped-for title challenge is almost over before it ever begun. But in the context of the quality and the game, this was not a shocking performance or result. In fact, it is, disappointingly, about what should be expected. Perhaps that is where the issues lie, then.