3 positives & negatives from Arsenal’s defeat to Manchester City

Arsenal fell out of the FA Cup on Friday night after a slender defeat to Manchester City.

In what is always a tough match at the Etihad, Arsenal played their competition well with a heavily rotated team.

3 positives & negatives from Arsenal’s defeat to Manchester City

Some good and bad to take from the match, so let’s get into it.

Positive #1: Played well despite the result

Arsenal might have lost the match, but there’s a lot to be happy about. City played a very strong XI on Friday night, while Mikel Arteta rotated his side heavily from the 3-2 victory over Man Utd.

Despite the changes, Arsenal played well, especially in the first half, where good opportunities were created with the Gunners threatening to go ahead in the match. Overall, this was a very good litmus test for the team: away to Man City without their most potent lineup, and the team played well, didn’t get embarrassed, and can feel very confident going into the two showdowns with the Cityzens coming up in the league.

Negative #1: Sambi Lokonga

This sucks to write, but Sambi just hasn’t been up to it. He came on at half-time, and the drop-off was evident out of possession.

His ability on the ball was excellent in the match, something that has never been a problem for him. However, off the ball, the Belgian lets himself down massively and he didn’t exactly cover himself in glory as Nathan Ake opened the scoring.

It’s very frustrating as someone who’s been an ardent supporter of Sambi that his progression has stalled somewhat. I still think he could have a future at the club, but a loan could be best for the Belgian international, especially with Arsenal in the transfer market for a number six.

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Positive #2: Matt Turner & Leandro Trossard

These were the two standout players on Friday night for Arsenal. Turner has been faultless since joining the club, with Ake’s goal being the first he’s conceded from open play all season. He’s grown so much more comfortable on the ball since joining, and Arteta will undoubtedly be thrilled with the American’s quick development.

Just like in his cameo against. United, Trossard was impressive. I’m looking forward to what he’ll bring to this team the rest of the year because every time he’s gotten a chance so far, he’s looked good. He could have had a few opportunities for goals or assists in the match, as young Rico Lewis struggled to cope with his directness.

Negative #2: The result

It sucks to lose. That being said, that was one of the best Arsenal losses I’ve seen. It was a pretty even match overall, and losing this match reduces the fixture congestion as the season progresses.

I think the worst-case scenario would have been a draw that would’ve resulted in a replay and even more matches. A loss by a small margin is honestly a pretty decent result.

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Positive #3: A quiet night for Erling Haaland

The Premier League’s leading scorer had a pretty quiet Friday night. The physical battle in the first half was much more apparent, with the Norwegian targeting the ‘weak link’ of the Arsenal defence in Rob Holding.

In his 45 minutes, Holding managed to keep him quiet. Arteta did the right thing bringing William Saliba at the start of the second half with Holding on a booking. He certainly didn’t want a repeat of last season’s North London Derby.

Credit to all three of Arsenal’s centre-backs and goalkeeper Turner because keeping the big man from hitting the back of the net is not an easy feat.

Negative #3: Fan reactions

I feel like I talk about this far too much, especially when a lot of the second team comes in, but some of the reactions to certain players often get out of hand in matches like this.

Sambi is often targeted, and I’ve already admitted that his performance wasn’t great on Friday, but some of the criticism can fall closer to abuse at times. He and other players are not going to improve their play with this kind of treatment that some “fans” are happy to hand out.

On the reverse, while Sambi’s decision to be the first down the tunnel after the match wasn’t a great one, you can’t exactly blame him.

These players are human, and it’s important to remember that.