City-Arsenal live blog

By: Thad | April 24th, 2010

Read on for minute-by-minute account of City’s crucial visit to Arsenal. The last time City won in the league on Arsenal’s ground was…well, a long time ago. But if they can manage it today City will climb back into pole position for a Champions League berth next year…

Pardon me as I’m a few minutes behind real time (will be all caught up for the second half). Aresenal are without Fabregas today and have Fabianski in goal. The Gunner’s stunning defeat to Wigan last weekend means their title challenge is over and from that fact City might benefit. Will Arsenal really be up for this? One play who might well be is Theo Walcott, aiming to shore up his World Cup credentials.

Mancini has pulled a surprise by leaving Adebayor out of the starting 11 on his return to the Emirates. Instead Vieira and DeJong will play together with Barry in midfield, leaving Bellamy, Tevez, and Johnson up front. A slightly cautious approach but expect Adebayor to come on later in the day.

City are in the black away strip, Arsenal of course in red. Here we go!

1st minute. Adebayor spotted talking to someone in the stands as play gets underway. Commentators reminds us that a City victory would ensure a Europa Cup berth, but few are thinking about that today. City have a higher target.

2nd minute. Arsenal have it now, Vieira called for a foul on Diaby. Walcott and Rosicky work it around to Van Persie on a nice move but Toure is there to cover and force a corner kick.

3rd minute. Sagna got a near post head to that but it’s well off target. Now Vieira wins a foul. City come forward but give it away in short order.

4th minute. The ball will definitely spend more time on the ground than the air today–everything is side foot short balls from both teams so far.

5th minute. Johnson covers well on the right defensive flank there but puts it out of bounds. Arsenal have loads of the ball early on. Another good tackle by Toure knocks it off Van Persie to win a goal kick. Capello and former City boss Stuart Pearce are in the stands.

6th minute. Now City apply a little pressure. City have four and then five players crowded in a tight little area on the left, they kept the ball and played it back to Kompany, whose long ball just eluded an on-side Johnson.

8th minute. Johnson slightly catches Diaby 25 yards out on the left and Arsenal are given the free kick. Nasri’s take is eventually headed away but Arsenal retain possession. Dangerous looking cross from van Persie but it’s over everyone for a goal kick.

9th minute. Arsenal win another throw in City’s half, and then another.

10th minute. Zabaleta is in the side today for City and helped head that cross out. Arsenal don’t look like a team with any intention of slacking off today.

12th minute. Kompany tries another long ball towards Johnson but this one is not nearly as dangerous and goes out of bounds.

14th minute. I remember several City-Arsenal matches in years gone by in which City would have been happy not to be down a goal or two at this point already…and several more in which they actually were! But these teams are much more evenly matched today.

15th minute. Bridge appears to have a problem and Micah Richards is making a hasty warm-up. Not clear yet if a substitution will be necessary. Bridge stays on for the moment.

16th minute. The 35 year stretch since City won at Arsenal is longer than either City’s trophy-less spell or City’s 34 year drought between wins at Old Trafford (1974 to 2008).

17th minute. City are getting a bit more of the play but have not come close to carving out anything resembling a chance.

18th minute. Bridge nearly got behind Walcott there on the left but Sven’s Blunder recovered to cut out a very dangerous through ball. Arsenal have it again.

19th minute. Toure with some slight contact on van Persie and it’s another foul given–Nasri stands over it 40 yards out–and floats all the way into Given’s hands. Given’s punt goes awry and over the touchline on the left.

20th minute. Tevez marginally–if at all–offside to cut out a very promising opportunity after Vieira had intercepted the ball near midfield. Didn’t look like the correct decision on first glance.

21st minute. City now have a free kick 50 yards from goal but it’s completely wasted.

22nd minute. Bellamy with a neat tackle but his quick long ball is intercepted easily. City get it back and Tevez is back in his own half to get some touches. There’s that long ball for Johnson from Kompany again and this one doesn’t come off either–still a good looking idea.

23rd minute. Kompany with a brilliant tackle on Walcott and Walcott stays down, though he’s clearly not hurt. City played it out for a throw.

24th minute. Arsenal give it back and Walcott is back on the pitch.

25th minute. Nasri has it on the left and eludes two defenders to get a cross in. Barry gets an interception and tries to one-time a long ball for Tevez but it’s a little too heavy.

26th minute. Toure finds Vieira with a 20 yards pass on the floor and the former Arsenal talisman is fouled. City restart it on the floor.

27th minute. Richards is about to come in for Wayne Bridge. Either Zabaleta or Barry will have to take over at left back.

28th minute. The England management team is trading notes as that substitution is made. Zabaleta is going to play left back as Richards takes over on the right. Barry is left in midfield which I think is the right move–otherwise City would be playing with three out-and-out defensive midfielders.

29th minute. Nasri is offside which is a very good thing–replay shows that was a bad call, it looked like Toure kept him onside as Nasri ran on that diagonal through ball.

30th minute. Toure is step for step with van Persie and blocks that shot–corner kick. Arsenal are making cutting passes right through City’s defense. Corner is cleared, Richards wins it off Clichy and now he’s got a knock–but he’s okay.

32nd minute. City’s game plan seems to be to pick a ball off in the middle of the field and launch a quick counterattacking ball to Tevez. Not the greatest to watch as City aren’t keeping the ball much, but the plan just might work.

33rd minute. Toure commits another foul on van Persie.

34th minute. Nasri attacks on the right this time and his hard low cross is knocked behind for another Arsenal corner. van Persie takes and it’s headed behind for a corner from the opposite flag, to be taken by Nasri. Silvestre got a head or shoulder to that and it’s over the goal harmlessly–goal kick.

35th minute. Some good defensive work from City to keep Arsenal from getting a clear shot off after a good through ball for van Persie.

36th minute. Throw-in for Zab taken deep in City’s half–and Arsenal get it back for a throw in almost the same spot. Sagna mishandled that clearance and City get a throw. Tevez’s short ball to Kompany goes astray.

38th minute. Walcott had a chance to strike from distance after a cleared cross, but it’s not well-hit and goes well wide.

39th minute. City’s defense-first policy today has worked well enough but I’m not sure City can be satisfied with a draw today. Mike Dean and Toure have a little chat after that most recent foul by Arsenal. City finally have a chance to attack but Bellamy is marginally offside.

40th minute. Nasri with a snapshot from a tight angle inside the box but Given stops it, then recovers.

41st minute. Vieira with a burst into the box set up by Bellamy, but Campbell is there to cover. Play is picking up a bit. Barry gets it away there, plays it for Tevez who is fouuled by Silvestre cynically–yellow card.

42nd minute. I would like to see Tevez have more chances to run with the ball right at Campbell and Silvestre. City waste that restart as Kompany’s ball is too heavy. Rosicky is not given a foul there on that City tackle.

43rd minute. Song with a good run but Kompany cuts it out. Vieira tries again to find Tevez but cannot. Play continues and van Persie shoots into the side netting from the left.

44th minute. Commentators think Vieira got away with a kick out during that sequence.

45th minute. Richards again plays a wayward ball. City are defending well but not cleanly converting those tackles and interceptions into sustained offensive possession.

46th minute. Great sliding challenge by Kompany cuts out Song’s pass, then he cuts out that cross from Walcott. Tevez tries to play Bellamy through but the angles didn’t work that time.

47th minute. Play continues Kompany with yet another clearance. Now it’s Clichy crossing it in and Zab heads it away. Bellamy had the ball but played a nothing ball that Fabianski retrieves. And there’s the halftime whistle-0-0.

And we’re back in real time for the second half. City went a whole half without creating a shot on goal–literally. At some point Adebayor must come on and City must try to score.

46th minute. Vieira’s ball in Johnson’s direction is not at all a good one–over the touch line. Johnson tries to run at Clichy but can’t get by. Another pedestrian performance from Johnson so far–SWP might also need to come at some point.

47th minute. Song may have picked up a knock there after he failed to beat Toure.

48th minute. Arsenal set up shop, Sagna runs to the endline but his cross goes behind.

50th minute. Vieira misplaces another short ball, setting up an Arsenal move that ends with van Persie heading it without much power well over the bar from about 12 yards out.

51st minute. Over two hours for City without a goal, if anyone’s counting. Diaby has picked up a yellow card there for that tackle from behind on Tevez.

52nd minute. Boos cascade down as Adebayor prepares to come on. Will there be any cheers for the Togo striker who so nearly lost his life a few months ago? Maybe not, but there are some for Vieira as he comes off. If the goal was to keep this game scoreless for 53 minutes it’s job done for Vieira.

54th minute. Certainly the intensity in the ground has gone up, a decent looking move between Johnson and Bellamy doesn’t quite work.

55th minute. Richards makes a run nearly to the box before being tackled in, Johnson gets in and it’s an attacking throw for City. Adebayor dribbles it neatly to keep it in but nothing comes of that.

56th minute. Now Song and Bellamy are in a little scrap and will be called over for a talking to by Mike Dean, along with Song, Toure, and van Persie.

57th minute. City clear the ball after the Arsenal free kick, boos for Adebayor as he has the ball. van Persie jumps almost completely over DeJong there–foul. Tevez bursts froward.

58th minute. Adebayor tries to shot from distance but it’s blocked. A chipped through ball in for Johnson but he can’t beat Fabianski to the ball.

59th minute. Foul on Richards 45 yards from goal. Arsenal restart on the ground.

60th minute. Rosicky fires along the ground from about 25 yards and Given takes it easily at his feet.

61st minute. Johnson takes the free kick. Chance for Toure to dribble in the box and he claims his cross hit Sol Campbell’s arm. Instead it’s a corner and Richards got there, but he headed it straight down at such an angle that it bounced easily over the goal frame.

62nd minute. City have had just 24% possession this half so far. Tevez has a chance to run, and Barry is now free on the left after a good pass from Adebayor. But Barry’s cross is cut out–he waited too long to play the ball.

64th minute. Good dribbling from Adebayor who got it to the endline for a cross but can’t find anyone. He’s added a spark to things for City.

65th minute. Bellamy attacks and plays a good cross in and Clichy takes it off his chest to Fabianski. Another City half-shout for a penalty on the next cross.

66th minute. This game has gotten a lot more open.

67th minute. Bellamy dribbles, finds Adebayor who first-times it to Johnson. Tevez now has it and Sagna commits a foul about 40 yards from goal.

68th minute. Arsenal about to make a double switch. Song got a yellow card on that last play. Adebayor plays a floating cross in that Fabianski stretches to take.

69th minute. Bendtner and Eboue are on, Walcott and Rosicky are off. Bendtner scares me a bit.

70th minute. Bendtner on cue with a dangerous cross that skips through everyone, fortunately. Johnson tries a too ambitious through ball Bellamy can’t get too.

71st minute. Diaby with the shot of the match so far, from about 22 yards , Given saves going left to poke it behind. But the Irish keeper may have injured himself–that would be a big blow. Gunnar Nielsen is warming up in case he needs to come on.

72nd minute. Given is still in pain and is removing his gloves. It looks almost like they are trying to pop a shoulder back in. He came down hard on that shoulder as he made that very fine save.

73rd minute. Nielsen is City’s third and final substitution–he’s #37. Given is going out via stretcher, it appears. It’s over for today for Given–and what of the final three matches after this?

75th minute. Nielsen is Faroes Island’s #1. Given is applauded and is sitting up and taking oxygen as he is carried off.

76th minute. Here’s the corner and Barry headed it away, but City can’t clear it completely just yet. City do win it back momentarily but Arsenal are attacking again.

77th minute. Sagna’s cross is blocked, then another one comes in and Nielsen has his hands on the ball with an easy catch.

78th minute. Johnson with the backpass to Nielsen who knocks it over the halfway line. Free kick for City inside Arsenal’s half, Richards got behind on the right and played a cross in that is cut out.

79th minute. Nielsen knocks that cross over the bar, well done, that was a bit dangerous.

80th minute. City come away with it. Ten minutes left for a winer to emerge. City have performed credibly but three points would be a lot better than one.

81st minute. Adebayor can’t get on to that straight ball down the middle. Bendtner is fouled by Bellamy who is given a yellow card, City’s first of the day. Note sure if that was for the foul or the reaction–Bellamy didn’t think that was a foul at all.

82nd minute. Tevez breaks forward but Clichy matches him step for step to win it off him. Van Persie picks up a yellow for that challenge on Adebayor.

83rd minute. Eboue dribbles at Zabaleta and Zab is called for a free kick–and a yellow card to boot–for tugging at the jersey. This is in a quite dangerous spot, about 25 yards out. Nervous time…

84th minute. van Persie tried to chip it in the top corner but he hit it over the bar. That would have been very difficult for any keeper to save if it had been on target.

85th minute. City still don’t have a shot on goal this match.

86th minute. Now Richards is called for a foul for tugging on a shirt. Another free kick from 25 yards on the left. Nielsen punches it away and City manage to clear. Tevez brings it down the right–and there’s a shot on goal from Bellamy, but it’s tamely into Fabianski’s hands.

88th minute. Another Arsenal free kick, Adeabyor meets it with his head. Good defensive work from City there to prevent an Arsenal opportunity.

89th minute. City try a long ball to Bellamy, he got a touch on it inside the box but no power. Bendtner breaks free in the box but his tight angle shot is held by Nielsen with ease.

90th minute. Eight minutes of injury time to come! Good grief. Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing for City.

91st minute. Johnson wastes possession there, Arsenal come forward.

92nd minute. Van Persie fires from well out on his left, but he was slipping backward and it goes well over and wide.

93rd minute. Nasri on the left, plays it back to Clichy and Kompany heads away again. Can City keep concentration all the way to the end this week?

94th minute. Bendtner had it inside the box but was swarmed by City defenders before he could get a shot off. Nielsen with a punt.

95th minute. Nielsen takes that long ball aimed for van Persie from Diaby. Long kick forward from Zabaleta but City are whistled for a foul.

96th minute. Bendtner’s shot is blocked. Clichy plays it back to Song, Barry steps in for a crucial interception in the box.

97th minute. Arsenal cross, Toure heads it and Bellamy plays it off Diaby for a throw. 90 second to go. City knock a long ball forward aimlessly.

98th minute. Nielsen has it again as we enter the final minute, his punt finds Silvestre’s head. Fabianski knocks it forward. Arsenal with one last attack. Kompany with a key tackle, it looked for a second like City could break but it didn’t come off. Play goes on a bit more but the final whistle comes at last–0-0 is your final score.

A drab match for the neutral but a good point for City. City played to defend first from the start, and hoped a counter-attacking chance would fall kindly. It never really did. But at the back Toure and especially Kompany were terrific–immense one might say–and Gunnar Nielsen deserves some praise for a good professional job after coming on for injured Shay Given. Kompany is my man of the match.

The result leaves City one point behind Spurs. City need to beat Aston Villa next week, full stop. If they do, it will set up City’s most important league match in many years in eleven days’ time against Tottenham Hotspur, with 4th place on the line.