3 positives & negatives from 4-1 defeat against Manchester City

Arsenal succumbed to a disappointing 4-1 defeat away at the Etihad as Manchester City effectively ended the Gunners’ Premier League title dream. 

Arsenal conceded yet another early goal at the hands of Kevin De Bruyne in what was a very shaky start by the visitors. John Stones’ header just before halftime doubled the home side’s lead and was more than deserved and made the comeback almost impossible.

The result, and even more so the performance, were both disappointing, but there were still positives to take away from the match.

3 positives and negatives from the 4-1 defeat against Manchester City

Positive #1: Aaron Ramsdale’s heroics

While there have been suggestions that Ramsdale should have done better for at least one of City’s goals, there is no denying the fact that without him, we could have been four goals down before half-time.

One stop, in particular, comes to mind – with Erling Haaland bearing down on the goal, and having just beat two defenders with an incredible piece of skill inside the box, Ramsdale made an excellent save from close range to deny the Norwegian. Had that chance been converted, the scoreline could have been far worse and given even more encouragement to a rampaging Manchester City.

Ramsdale is one of the few players who can wholeheartedly say he gave his best in this game.

Negative #1: Title hopes surely over

The most obvious negative from this match is the implication the result has on our title hopes. We are now just two points ahead of our rivals, but given they have two games in hand and are currently in incredible form, we now need a miracle in order to be lifting the Premier League trophy come the end of the season.

In truth, it was the results against West Ham United and Southampton tave caused this situation to arise, but this defeat was the metaphorical dagger to an already weakened heart.

After the match, the City players were humble and insisted the title race is far from over, but this result definitely feels as though it will be looked back upon as the definitive moment in the title race in a month’s time.

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