Man City destroys abysmal Arsenal

By: j | November 22nd, 2008

As Arsenal visited Eastlands to face Man City the general consensus was that this would be an end-to-end offensive rich match. However in the end with Man City victorious 3-0, pundits are left to consider whether this is an extraordinary triumph by Man City or just an example of how far Arsenal has fallen. Whilst Man City showed glimmers of brilliance, Arsenals performance was simply foul, lacked professionalism and puts into question the internal focus and drive of the club. With complete respect for Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, if there was a tactical plan, it was abandoned on the pitch, if the players possess quality, they have detached themselves from it and if they are professional, maybe they can have enough respect in the future for the crest they wear to perform as professionals. Simply put and with good intention, Arsenal is too good to play like this.

After a extended feeling out period where Man City employed a well-advised defensive strategy, Arsenals focus began to slowly evaporate in the cool late autumn afternoon. Before the break Stephen Ireland continued his goal scoring prowess with a what I would like to describe to you as a wonderful strike but it was not. In-fact it was the by-product of dreadful defending by Gael Clichy and Mikaël Silvestre that the isn’t level of play expected at this or significantly lower levels. Yet to say it is a “simple defending error” is to discard the truth that in time of need, when they are down a man to William Gallas disciplinary omission, they responded with a pathetic display. Within professional ranks the inability to respond to situations of duress is a cardinal error and spells out a clear message of players focus, drive and determination. It further tells coaches that the “warm and fuzzy” management idea needs to be discarded and put all positions up for grabs. Returning the match, after Gael Clichy and Mikaël Silvestre embarrassed themselves and didn’t clear an easy ball, Stephen Ireland was returned a ball he nearly over-ran and scuttled it into the net. Eleven minutes after the break, Shaun Wright-Phillips, who is clearly growing by leaps and bounds with each week played a remarkably well weighted through ball to Robinho through the sieve-like Arsenal who cleverly chipped the ball over an on-rushing Manuel Almunia to make it 2-0. At his stage of the match Man City was on the verge of adding goal after goal but finishing was sorely lacking including an astonishing miss by Robinho with eleven minutes remaining when he took at far outside angle and his shot was cleared off the line. A short time after Robin Van Persie channeled George Best and clipped the ball from ‘keeper Joe Hart and put into the net but the goal was disallowed. Deep into added time England U-21 Daniel Sturridge, who had only just entered the match was pulled down in the area by Johan Djourou and was awarded a penalty, which he converted to bring the score to 3-0.

The reaffirming victory sends Man City to eleventh in the table with seventeen points with Arsenal continuing to tumble to fifth. Man City returns to action next Thursday against Schalke 04 in UEFA Cup.