Arsenal vs Manchester City player ratings: That was predictable

Arsenal could have made a big statement in this one, but they were spanked instead. Here are the player ratings, if you want them.

Arsenal opened this one in the worst way possible. Not only was the starting XI a question mark, with key absences and a strange allotment of the players that we did have, but when the Gunners handed – yes, handed – City their first goal within the first minute, it was a nightmare come true. We were destined to get smacked.

But we fought back. On a fantastically worked set-piece routine, captain Laurent Koscielny headed home to compound on what had already been a solid day from him.

Just like that, we were even, as as the game sussed out from there, there was certainly an equality between the two teams. City might have had the upper hand, but Arsenal were right there with them, providing a notable threat. That is, right before the end of half, which saw the hosts take a 2-1 lead.

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The second half didn’t improve. It became clearer and clearer that the Gunners had no one capable of creating chances consistently, and that being the case, they were never going to score. They didn’t create a single chance in the second half. And when they failed at creating a chance, they kept forfeiting possession in pure desperation and City made them pay.

It was an odd match, where massive individual let-downs did the club in, and that reflects in the player ratings. So here they are:

Goalkeeper