Arsenal Vs Manchester City: 5 things we learned

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LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 18: manager Mikel Arteta and Emiliano Martínez of Arsenal celebrate on pitch after the FA Cup Semi Final match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on July 18, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images) /

1. In Arteta, Arsenal have hope

Whether Arsenal go on to win the FA Cup or not, whether they squeeze into Europe in the Premier League, or whether they struggle in the final weeks of the season, there is one huge positive that they can take from what has been their worst season since before Arsene Wenger arrived: In Mikel Arteta, they have hope.

From the tactics on the pitch to the way he communicates with the media, Arteta has barely made a mistake since he arrived as Arsenal’s head coach six months ago. Here, it was his team selection and overall approach that was so wonderful. To include Ainsley Maitland-Niles, to drop Sead Kolasinac and slide Kieran Tierney into centre-back, to have Alexandre Lacazette follow Ilkay Gundogan. These tactical decisions all paid off.

And then there is the overall feeling in the squad and togetherness of the players. Arsenal are far from a perfect team and they still have a huge gap to close to reach City’s and Liverpool’s level. But the players believe in Arteta. You can see it in their body language, you can watch it in how they play. This is a team that believes in their coach.

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What happens between now and the end of the season remains to be seen. But irrespective of the results, one thing is certain: Arsenal have hope.

Arsenal Vs Manchester City: 5 things we learned – Arsenal have hope

By Andrew Dowdeswell | Jul 18, 2020

1. In Arteta, Arsenal have hope