Arsenal 0-1 Man City: 4 talking points from Premier League defeat

Arsenal succumbed to an early onslaught from Manchester City as Raheem Sterling’s goal inside two minutes was all that separated the sides in Sunday’s Premier League clash.

All eyes were on Mikel Arteta’s lineup one hour before kick-off, even more so than usual given the midweek fixture just been and the one still to come. There were five changes in total, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard all keeping their places.

While weakened in the sense of the alterations, the side chosen was still stronger than anticipated. Yet you can’t help think it would have made little difference if the Under-23 side had played given how magnificent City were in the opening exchanges.

Their ‘front six’ constantly interchanged apart from Riyad Mahrez, who gave Kieran Tierney a torrid time down Arsenal’s left with relentless take-ons and one-on-one isolation. It was a schooling from the visitors who asserted their dominance from the first whistle.

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Arsenal vs Man City: 4 talking points as Raheem Sterling seals 1-0 Premier League win

Raheem Sterling was inexcusably allowed to jump highest and head in the opener after just 72 seconds, and while City kept turning the screw Bernd Leno remained untroubled.

Bukayo Saka dropped deeper and Tierney began creating openings, but nothing was forthcoming before the break.

Seeing more of the ball than their opponents in the second half bore no fruit, as the Gunners didn’t test Ederson in goal and couldn’t get near Pep Guardiola’s side.

Here are the talking points.

Mistakes Cost Arsenal Once More

It was Sam Allardyce who said the vast majority of goals in football are either mistakes or set-pieces. He’s not wrong. You can’t simply magic away human error from football or it’d be an inherently boring spectacle.

That doesn’t mean Arsenal can’t stop shooting themselves in the foot.

Conceding early against City has become something of a routine. In their last six visits to the Emirates Stadium they’ve scored inside the opening 15 minutes, although today’s could have been so easily avoided. Allowing Sterling to rise highest – it was a fair leap, in fairness – in between a ball watching Rob Holding and Hector Bellerin scrambling in to cover was frustratingly poor.

City were in utter control of the first 15 minutes of the match, having Arsenal at sixes and sevens and keeping their foot on their opponents’ throat. Still, despite that, Leno remained untested.

After Arsenal weathered that storm they began to offer their own threats, the toughest period of the game wasn’t seen out due to slack marking. As with the Aston Villa match, although not against the same level of opposition, it’s a mistake that could easily have cost the Gunners a point and kept morale high.

Arsenal Were Never Going to Win, But it’s Still Disappointing

Only the very brave or those with a penchant for going against the odds would have predicted Arsenal winning this fixture. A draw might have sneaked into a few predictions, but nothing more.

Given that Arsenal followed the overriding pre-match consensus of losing, the fact it still feels disappointing boils down to the events of the game. Conceding so early and then going on to be in the game from thereon in, the lack of cutting edge in the final third made for frustrating viewing.

It was mentioned pre-match that the only way the Gunners could secure a positive result was if City had an uncharacteristic off day and Arsenal played out of their skins. The former happened. Not the latter.

City were pulsating to start with but left gaps down the left when Joao Cancelo tucked in, and that spell in the first half was the best chance of forging a route back into the game. Even in the second half where Arsenal had the majority of the ball, the overriding lack of quality in the final 25 yards left so much to be desired.

It wasn’t in any way dominating and the feeling that City held Arsenal at arm’s length can’t be shirked, but to have been 1-0 down with 20 minutes to go would’ve been a scenario few supporters would have scoffed at. Just like against Benfica, nothing came of it. It falls on Arsenal to not throw caution to the wind, but also credit must go to a City side who changed their shape to accommodate the only area of danger in the Arsenal side.

Lack of Risk Taking

Bukayo Saka didn’t have his best game in an Arsenal shirt. For him to be as sloppy as he was in key moments is something supporters haven’t grown accustomed to. And, despite all that, he was still the best player in red and white purely for willing to take the game to City.

Eager to take people on, attack the spaces and seek the elaborate pass, his desire was unmatched by the rest of the team.

Martin Odegaard was surprisingly poor, being wasteful in possession on the rare occasions he assumed it – Mohamed Elneny did his best to see him barely feature – and struggling to have a positive impact. He did try to be risky on the ball yet so little failed to come off.

There is a worry that Arsenal are too structured. Every phase is choreographed to such a degree that the scope for invention is limited. While this is being gradually worked towards, and perhaps is still the case considering the personnel available, the need for added ruthlessness continues to hamstring the side back in key moments. Of course on this occasion you must tip your hat to an unbelievable well organised City and realise the limitations of the Gunners’ midfield duo, but at least try and spark some life into proceedings.

Someone of Gabriel Martinelli’s ilk would add a natural, untouched element to the forward line, but for whatever reason he remains unused by Arteta.

All on Benfica on Thursday

City have won 18 matches on the trot for a reason. They’re an unrelenting footballing juggernaut who are strolling their way to the Premier League title and will be the team to beat in this season’s Champions League. Sides much better than Arsenal have lost to them. Sides much better than Arsenal will lose to them.

Dissecting the defeat will only get us so far, and all eyes must be fixed on Thursday for a match that as Arteta put it, is a ‘final’. Lose that, or draw higher than 1-1, and it’s curtains.

Do or die, fight or flight and all the rest.

Saka will get the nod again for his 1000th full 90 of the season, while even if Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had a miserable day on Sunday, he too will come back in. So will Emile Smith Rowe for Odegaard, and both central defenders look set to be swapped out. Based on his performance against City, Hector Bellerin should make way for Cedric.

Whoever players, in whatever shape and with whichever tactical blueprint, Arsenal must secure progression. Take the City win on the chin – Arsenal at least competed unlike so many others – and keep the previous meeting with Benfica in the mind. Arteta has a better squad, playing better football and they should get the better of their Portuguese opponents.

We move, as they say.