Arsenal Vs Manchester City: 5 things we learned – Guendouzi lone bright spark

3. Petr Cech and his feet

Unai Emery seems insistent on his Arsenal playing out from the back. I am quite happy with that and it will take time for the players to better understand and execute what he is asking of them, in and out of possession, but on this occasion, there was a series of hairy moments, largely stemming from Petr Cech.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

I noted in the preseason that one reason to play Bernd Leno instead of Cech was his quality and comfort on the ball. Emery wants to play in this manner and Leno is far more adept at playing it than Cech. It was proven again here. And not just in the first-half moment when Cech sliced a pass just past the post.

Time and time again, Cech would invite pressure onto the backline with slow, ponderous distribution. Rather than simply going long and moving the game into more advanced positions, Arsenal played into City’s hands.

That said, Cech was excellent with his hands in the first half. He made a series of brilliant saves in the first half and kept the game a lot closer than it deserved to be. But if Emery is going to play in this style, is being good with your hands enough? I don’t know, but if it isn’t, Leno is ready in waiting.