Tops
In a game where it was easy to doze off on the sofa, Arsenal were able to count on their starters to make the difference in money time against Manchester City (1-0). Entering at the break to replace an invisible Trossard, Martinelli was one of the only ones to energize this second half a little. And it was he who scored the only goal of the match, in an action where only the entrants touched the ball. Partey for Tomiyasu, Tomiyasu for Havertz, Havertz for Martinelli… Winning coaching!
Despite being in difficulty against Lens last week, the two former Ligue 1 players delivered a very solid performance this Sunday. Faced with opponents who were not the easiest to contain (Haaland, Hernandez, Silva, Foden…), they gave them no chance to express their talent. Imperial in the head, rather skilful in their restarts, perfectly managing the depth… Haaland and company were quite simply muzzled on the Emirates pitch, and this is mainly due to the work of the two friends.
December 2015. Before the match, it was Arsenal’s last victory against the Skyblues in the league. An eternity. But this Sunday, the student Arteta temporarily overtook the master Guardiola. After a failed final sprint last season and two defeats against City, the Gunners seem to have matured and appear above all armed to fight for the championship until the final day. In any case, they will spend this international break in second place in the Premier League standings, tied on points with leader Tottenham.
Flops
This is a title that has not often appeared in flops in recent years. However, it is clear that City have never been able to put Arsenal in danger. With only 11 shots and 4 on target, Raya was rarely even called upon. Haaland, who is going through a bad patch, was little found by his partners just like his attacking partner Julian Alvarez. The last ten minutes were the symbol of this: trailing, Pep Guardiola’s men simply did not have an opportunity. After three defeats in five matches, the truce will do them good.
“Arsenal-Manchester City” is always a date to tick on your calendar. A shock that we don’t want to miss, and which, last year, was decisive during the title race. But this Sunday, despite only one point separating the two teams and an enthusiastic public, we struggled to find what usually makes these meetings successful: unbridled play, overwhelming intensity, and numerous goals. Martinelli saved an afternoon that, if you’re not an Arsenal fan, could be described as a disappointment.
It’s hard to blame him since he responds to Arteta’s instructions. But David Raya made the Gunners lovers sweat. Looking throughout the match to make a short restart, his passes were regularly on the verge of interception. And he came close to disaster in the 17th minute, following a pass from Gabriel. While he wanted to restart short once again, Alvarez emerged to tackle the ball which ended up in the side net. Proof that sometimes, going far away is good.
