Written by Mean Lean on Sunday, 18 December 2011 20:53

We had lost four times in the league this season until today. Manchester United, Liverpool, Blackburn and Tottenham in each of those games I have had plenty to complain about, especially earlier in the season but you would be hard pressed to find too many upset Gooners this evening. At least by the performance of the boys in red and white.

Not many teams have gone to the Etihad stadium this season and took City on and this made for a wonderful game of end to end football.

Let us not forget that this was the same team that took Tottenham apart at White Hart Lane 5-1 and the demolition of Manchester United at Old Trafford 6-1. That was never going to happen today as this new Arsenal has plenty of steel and defensive strength since our reconstruction.

It took us a while to stamp our authority in the game because Manchester City pressed us very well. They cut our passing angles off and did not allow any time and space for our players to build up our play.

The lack of natural full backs really affected our game and you could see the difference when Richards surged forward on the right for the home team. He gave them a great outlet that we simply didn't have.  They used that option to push us back especially in the first part of the first half.

Gervinho was pretty much our only outlet as Theo Walcott was closed off, denied time to get the ball under his spell, once he doesn't have that, his game is almost nullified. He had the ball pinched from his feet again and again. As expected van Persie was followed everywhere by Vincent Kompany who had an outstanding game.

Aaron Ramsey put in a good shift and worked very hard for the team but he was not able to pull something special out of the bag and that is where we missed a little magic in my opinion.

Aaron Ramsey is well on his way to becoming a top class player and has showed many glimpses of that this season but in a deadlocked game we needed that bit of magic. That reserve pass, that dribble and low shot into the corner.

Mikel Arteta along with Wojciech Szczesny were fantastic but Laurent Koscielny was our best player on the day in my opinion. He may have been partly to blame for Silva's goal as he was nowhere near Balotelli when a pass was played down the City left. Apart from that he read danger, tackled exceptionally well and distributed the ball as classily as ever.

We lacked a little more goal threat from Gervinho, Walcott and Ramsey but apart from that we gave a very good account of ourselves and should have scored. Manchester City could have scored more goals as we pushed forward.

Johan Djourou joins the crazy full back injury list after picking up a groin strain. Sagna, Jenkinson, Gibbs and Santos have all been missing but Gibbs could be back in contention but Djourou joins the list.

I would have loved to have had both Sagna and Santos together today. If they were then I suspect that we could have gained a positive result. Oh well, we may have that to look forward to before the season ends.

We can hold our heads high, it wasn't our day but surely it has been confirmed that we are one of the strongest teams in the Premier League. Our only threats remain injury and complacency.

Let's bounce back at Villa.

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Comments (43)

• 18-Dec-2011 21:27 | | David Fox  - Just a thought..
  

  The whole Arsenal team cost less than Kun Aguero alone, yet Man City could only scrape a lucky 1-0 today. I can only imagine what kind of team Arsene Wenger could assemble with $1billion. Just wishful thinking.. Proud to be a a gunner!

• 18-Dec-2011 23:42 | | Yido  - Ur shite
  

  Ha ha ha ha it's over,live with it.

• 18-Dec-2011 23:41 | | Stevo
  

  So , what have spurs done thats so special? hows old Europa? how many times you been in champs league? sorry must have missed something there.

• 18-Dec-2011 21:41 | | Wengers rapper slut  - Wenger bus
  

  O dear,what a pile of crap you have become.Everytime you play anyone good you get beat.itv4 next year if your lucky :-)

• 18-Dec-2011 23:42 | | Yido  - Stevo the bullroot
  

  stevo special? Well what about beating you every time we play you,or maybe your right that doesn't say to much because your not very good..WALCOCK was cows dong tonight,and that Nazi at the back is pants.it's over

• 18-Dec-2011 21:57 | | Red Army  - ITV4!
  

  To those sad bastards that hate Arsenal so much, that they would go so far as to follow them on our blogs....makes us gooners better than most. not just at our football pedigree but also at the superior blogging capabilities. AW Red Army...WE HATE TOTTENHAM.

• 18-Dec-2011 23:41 | | Me
  

  fook off

• 18-Dec-2011 22:55 | | Blue Mancunian  - Lucky ???
  

  Lucky my arse. or your Arse for that matter.
  
  It should have been 3-0 after 10 minutes so dominant were City
  
  Arsenal played well and made for a good game for the neutrals but the score could, and should, have been about 5-1 on chances.
  
  Joe Hart is Englands number 1 for a reason and when Arsenal did break through, he was there to comfortably turn the shots away
  
  I can't believe that I actually thought that Arshavin would be a good signing when Arsenal bought him. He can't even make a simple 10 yard pass.
  
  Still, Van Persie looked OK ish and could fit in to our squad with a bit more practise.
  
  Look after him for us until we are ready to take him away from you
  
  Feeder club for City

• 18-Dec-2011 23:43 | | Ollie  - cunt
  

  Steve do you know what a premier league trophy looks like? You might remeber when won it in your own back yard... i was loved every minute of it especially when you all left!

• 18-Dec-2011 22:58 | | Ollie  - Empty etihad
  

  Blue mancunian..... funny that looking at your ground a few years ago it wasnt even half full now look at you all gorly hunting cunts bet you supported united untill city got money haha

• 18-Dec-2011 23:12 | | rocker
  

  David Fox does bring up a very good point!
  
  Wenger has never seemed to have a lot of money in the bank but if he could build the invincibles for less than 75 million ( albeit the defense was from Graham's years) then Wenger could create a monster with 150 million.

• 18-Dec-2011 23:45 | | MeanLean
  

  I see the loonies are out in force tonight.
  
  The 'Y' word is deemed very offensive to many so it won't be tolerated on the blog even if it is not used with racist intent.
  
  You have to forgive Tottenham fans for coming onto Arsenal blogs and bragging about being higher in the table with not even half of the games played as yet. It doesn't happen very often for that sorry lot.
  
  Clearly forever in our shadow.

• 18-Dec-2011 23:46 | | MeanLean
  

  Great point and yes, very proud to be a Gunner. We remain to be a club with class.

• 18-Dec-2011 23:59 | | David Fox  - let the man city and spud fans enjoy their moment.
  

  Cause it will all crash down soon enough. You can't buy success forever, and although you have your short term 'success' the long term picture looks pretty bleak financially. You have zero youth development (i think man city sold their school ) so when this crop is old, time to spend another 400mil, and considering both teams turnovers are waaaay in the red.. I dunno. Just doesn't seem to have a good ending, whereas Arsenal.. Well, you know. Highest turnover and top 5 rich list. Let's do the 5 year math here.

• 19-Dec-2011 00:01 | | Zakk  - Rocker
  

  Hey, not having that Wenger built the back for of the invincibles - Lauren, Campbell, Toure, Cole

• 19-Dec-2011 01:33 | | Gino92
  

  Very disappointing result but better days are still ahead. Come end of March Arsenal will be at or near the top. City will drop many more points and we will be there to cash in.
  It has become very clear to me that now is the time to go out and get Jan Vertonghen before it is too late. I watched him play a few times this season for Ajax and he was a monster. He is so versatile, he could make us forget about Gibbs. I don't think poor Gibbs will be able to play 10 games this season, simply because he will come back for 1 or 2 games then go right back to his cozy room at the physio.
  I also watched the Barcelona v. Santos game and I must tell you, that kid Ganzo is amazing. He will be the perfect replacement for Fabregas. Some of his one-touch passes against mighty Barca were pure class. Too bad we have absolutely no chance of signing him. Shame...
  Sadly, time is up for Arshavin and Chamack. At least Chamack is still trying hard but Arshavin... I don't even know what else to say about him.
  
  Let's start a new winning streak against Aston Villa and we will see where we will be by the end of February when Jackie Boy Wonder returns to action.
  
  Go Gunners!

• 19-Dec-2011 02:22 | | East Stand Alex  - Thought it was 1-1
  

  Good write up ML,
  
  You're right it doesn't feel like an 'end of the world' result. We did compete well with them, and of course expectations had to be slightly lower than only a win will do.
  
  But yes, I think in these tight, tactical matches the lack of full backs is glaring - there are no extra passes to help keep the ball if nothing is on.
  
  But most importantly, didn't we actually score!! After one replay, which the commentators directed the view to the wrong place, there were no more replays or comments about Robin's disallowed goal. Nothing during the game, nothing post match. Yet, whilst I'm probably wrong, it seemed to me Kompany at the top of the screen was level with RVP and playing him on. The commentators only talked about Zabaleta getting out in time, which he did, but didn't say a thing about the other player away from the play being deeper. I think we were robbed and nobody noticed. Did anyone else see it like that?
  
  Also, again not in the post-match discussions, but Aaron missed a golden chance. It needed a first time side foot, or leaving it for Kozzer to tap-in, but we opened them up beautifully there. Shame he tried to control it...
  
  Oh well; thought the boys played well overall. Yes, missing a little cutting edge, and Theo had an off day. But good fight and concentration once again.

• 19-Dec-2011 04:37 | | LS  - Lack of Competent Back Up FBs
  

  It was not Kosceilny's fault. Our Spanish kid did not know where he should position himself. There was no City's player near him and why would he stay close to 2 other Arsenal players? If Arsenal did not concede the goal results might have been the opposite. It was Arsene's fault for having Santos injured.

• 19-Dec-2011 04:52 | | Devil
  

  Well, not 1billion but only the Benched players of City would be good enough

• 19-Dec-2011 06:18 | | Zayed  - It was painfull
  

  Idk about you guys but that was more painfull than old trafford We played so well we deserved a point!!! I love arshavin but OMG -,- remeber when he whiped the ball across the penalty box? if that was accurate we would have leveled... I don't think we can fully blame Miquel for the goal I mean he just came on in a huge away match and he was playing in an uncomfortable decisision, Kos deserves some blame but again he isnt a RB.. he followed his instincts which is a good thing when you think about it. Gerv deserves special mention IMO he ran his head off!! Either way the last time we lost Arsene brought us back to an amazing streak no doubt he will do it again.

• 19-Dec-2011 12:07 | | richie
  

  Yes LS - I commented exactly that (after the game on the pre-match blog) with Djourou going off and Miguel coming on our defence was still sorting out who was going where. Because it meant a full back switch over. I also agree that Arsene shouldn't have played Santos in Athenes but I suppose he could've got injured against the toffee's, if the injury was gonna happen then it was gonna happen. I also agree RvP scored a perfectly good goal it might've been tight but level is on side.
  
  We can all understand the Spuds getting excited anytime they're in a top 4 position its a really big thing for them, we all need to remember they've only finished in the top 4 once in the history of the prem. That they are 3rd now before the half way point is the bigest thing to happen to them since they last won the old 1st division title over half a century ago. They'll have to win another 8 titles before they get into double figures, and another 11 premier league's before they could look us in the eye and say we're just like you a big club too! Lets not begrudge the tiny totts their 15 mins of fame.

• 19-Dec-2011 19:20 | | colesy  - just a thought...
  

  "I can only imagine what kind of team Arsene Wenger could assemble with $1billion" - lets hope it won't involve Denilson, Diaby or Bendtner!!!

• 19-Dec-2011 19:22 | | colesy
  

  "I don't think poor Gibbs will be able to play 10 games this season, simply because he will come back for 1 or 2 games then go right back to his cozy room at the physio." - ain't that the truth!

• 19-Dec-2011 19:29 | | colesy  - comparison - interesting facts
  

  After 16 matches, we have the following;
  P16, W9 D2 L5 F31 A24 Pts 29 Pos 6
  
  At the same stage last season we had the following;
  P16, W10 D2 L4 F34 A18 Pts 32 Pos 1
  
  Three points off from where we were 12 months ago some may point to.
  
  However, last season we finished 12 points from the eventual league champions. Last season we were leading the PL after 16 matches. 12 months on and we're 6th and trailing the leaders by 12 points already. Hmmm.

• 19-Dec-2011 19:44 | | Anonymous  - colesy Spud or Shed dweller?
  

  Are you another Spud infiltrator? I seem to recall you predicted Citeh would batter us which was a long long way from what actually happened. They scored and so did we! Their's was give ours was wrongly ruled off-side level is onside. Now your dissing the most successful manager our clubs ever known, who's turned our season around. Who are you? It seems like you ain't one of us colesy? Not a real Gooner are you! Spud? Or is your monica telling? Are you a a Cashley fan?

• 19-Dec-2011 19:51 | | Anonymous
  

  Are you really one of us ou are you just another Sad Spud infiltrator?

• 20-Dec-2011 00:14 | | richie  - Poor deduction
  

  You obviously didn't factor in who we've played so far this season whether home or away and then match last years fixtures with this years equivelent games. Its a shody piece of comparison work. Any Gooner looking for great stats analysis check out the Desi Gunner blog.

• 20-Dec-2011 01:29 | | richie  - No defence from the Graham years
  

  Rocker if you weren't a Gooner I'd understand your statement but this is a Gooner blog! All Gooners know that the invinibles season was 04 George Graham had left Arsenal in 1995 - Nine years later GG's famed back 5 Dixon, Bould, Adams, Winterburn and Seaman were long gone.
  The main back 5 of Arsene Wengers 49ers was Lauren, Toure, Campbell, Cole, and Lehman.

• 20-Dec-2011 02:05 | | richie
  

  51 years and counting since the tiny totts won the league! Its understandable that the spuds would want to invade our blogs just because they are 3rd in the table, I mean its not even at the half way stage and the Chickens are clucking. It really must burn them badly when they see their nearest neighbours playing for 12 consecutive years in the champions league, when they've only managed to get in the once. Then you see that just to equal us they'd have to win 11 league titles, if they ever win their first prem title they'll need more than one miracle, but to be able to look us in the eye as equals they'll need another 10 after it. Ah the tiny totts what would they give to have half of our honors.

• 20-Dec-2011 08:22 | | colesy
  

  Hands up - I was wrong (thankfully) about the battering. I am happy to admit to getting my prediction wrong. I am an Arsenal supporter and I have stated several times on this site, I am no longer a fan of Wenger. However, happy to put this to bed- I am not a spud.

• 20-Dec-2011 08:27 | | colesy  - richie - one for you then
  

  Hi Richie, given that you've taken 2 seconds to rip apart my analysis and you've praised the work on another site, why don't you provide us with the details of the teams we've played this season compared to those we played in the first 16 matches last season. Fancy the challenge????

• 20-Dec-2011 09:49 | | richie  - I decline I'm not one to plagiarise
  

  The actual match for match analysis was already done on the site I mentioned, which is why it only took me 2 seconds to rip apart your "analysis"? It wouldn't therefore be any type of challenge it would simply be plagiarism to copy Desi Gunners work.
  PS why do you post your own posts with a thumbs up? Surely thats for others to do.

• 20-Dec-2011 10:04 | | richie  - colesy???
  

  colesy I've just seen your comment about not being a fan of Wenger's so tell us more about your vision for our club, who would you have as our manager?

• 21-Dec-2011 03:03 | | Gino92  - I feel really sorry for Kieran Gibbs
  

  I commented earlier that Gibbs will come back and play 1 or 2 games before re-injuring himself, but as it turns out, he didn't even need to bother showing up. He is out again before making a come back. Poor lad! Just can't get a break. Is there anything he can do to stay injury-free? Maybe Van Persie can share his secret with him and Diaby.
  Now let's go get Vertonghen.

• 21-Dec-2011 06:35 | | colesy  - Richie- here, I've done the work for you.
  

  Richie,
  
  These are the teams we played in the first 16 matches of last season (after which we were leading the EPL);
  
  Liverpool, Blackpool, Blackburn, Bolton, Sunderland, WBA, Chelsea, Birmingham, Man City, West Ham, Newcastle, Wolves, Everton, Spurs, Aston Villa and Fulham. 8 home and 8 away.
  
  So far this season, we've played;
  
  Newcastle, Liverpool, Man U, Swansea, Blackburn, Bolton, Spurs, Sunderland, Stoke, Chelsea, WBA, Norwich, Fultham, Wigan, Everton and Man City. Again 8 home and 8 away.
  
  11 teams we've played so far, we also faced in the first 16 matches of last season.
  
  I could go on with analysis - if I believed there was any point. And that's it - my point it that unlike you Richie, I don't see the point in analysing the teams we've played so far to those we faced last season. The reason? Well it's simple- players have come and gone, managers have been replaced, injuries to our squad and other teams, relegation and promotion to and from the championship and much, much more means that we cannot compare the teams now with the teams/fixtures then.
  
  We can still however compare our results or more precisely, the points scored etc- why? well, we can do this within the context of the season itself. So by that I mean, we can only use the table comparison to see how well are are performing compared to the same stage last season (i.e. to see our position in the table, to see the points scored, goals scored etc).
  
  Man City and the massive amount of spending they've done since last season means that they've improved their points total dramatically and this is a classic example/reason why you cannot compare the teams from this season to lasts.
  
  As Wenger has said himself, we can only perform within our resources and therefore with the squad he has assembled.
  
  In May, we will be able to judge whether we have finished any higher or lower in the table. We can compare the points total, goal difference etc. The points difference between us and the Champions. Only then would anyone be able to determine if the club is moving forward or not.

• 21-Dec-2011 11:00 | | pika
  

  what a load of nonsense. so statistics is what will determine whether we are moving forward or not huh? thats fine with me, just take a look at the INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF FOOTBALL HISTORY AND STATISTICS then and tell us who do they hold as the best manager. hahaha statistics is what you wanted spud troll wasnt it ? check em and tell us how many years has wenger been finishing above your poor sodding lot...... and the goal difference....plus you can give us stats of wenger vs tottenhm and see who is moving forward and who isnt. seriously i was begging to worry about you. good thing arsenal lost and you braced us with your presence i suppose

• 21-Dec-2011 13:12 | | Anonymous
  

  Its obvious to all that you are a fool Colesy. Its very obvious to richie as he pointed it out first. You were the one who started out comparing our results this season with last seasons, and now you say there is no point comparing as the results of can't be compared because there are different managers and players. Your a clown!!!!!!
  I've checked the site richie recomends and they have a breakdown of the results before the Man City game and they have it game for game against the same teams compared to the matches last season. If like for like is compared we had more points.

• 21-Dec-2011 14:47 | | colesy  - who are you???
  

  LOL! I love it when people make an idiot of themselves!!
  
  I originally posted a comparison between our results and points scored with this stage last season. Richie raised the argument that the teams played should be taken into consideration - not me!
  
  I'll pointed out this morning that there is no point (IMO) of looking at which teams we've played so far this season to those we'd played last. I went ahead and listed the two sets of teams played in the first 16 matches but you'll notice for example that West Ham, Birmingham & Blackpool are not playing in the EPL this season. However, of the three teams which came up, we've played Swansea & Norwich so far. Different seasons, different teams - part of my point. Something which has escaped your notice!
  
  Anyway, you carry on with your "what if" approach. I mean, seriously, what planet are you on (whoever you are) by justifying everything by claiming "If like for like is compared we had more points" - because life doesn't work that way!

• 21-Dec-2011 14:54 | | colesy
  

  unrealistically, I'd love Pep Guardiola but probably more likely would be to appoint someone like Jürgen Klopp or Van Basten. Ideally, I'd love to see Bergkamp & Keown as manager/assistant manager.

• 22-Dec-2011 02:33 | | richie
  

  I'm glad you said it would be unrealistic to think we could 1/afford Guardiola 2/ think he'd move from his beloved Barca.
  
  Of your other choices Van Basten was a great player but his managing career has been anything but successful. Given the job at Ajax he put the club in debt something that was unheard of at that hughly successful club and he won nothing with them, and was forced to resign after a dismal year including losing to PSV 6-2 and 4-0 to Sparta Rottadam. Basically the great Croyff stepped in and had the Ajax board remove him before he could do any more damage. Likewise he had an unsuccessful stint as the Dutch national coach. Failing to qualify for all but one of the big tournaments, the Euro's but resigned after Russia knocked his team out in the first round.
  
  Neither Bergkamp nor Keown has ever managed a team? Like Van Basten and our own Tony Adams great players rarely make great managers.
  
  Which leaves J. Klopp a flamboyant charactor who I like, he adds some colour to the borring German league, a good young manager who has had success with BD although I'm not really sure why you think he'd be successful in the EPL his overal managerial record isn't good as he's won less than 50% of his games as a manager. But at least you've had the guts to name a manager even if only a semi-successful one so everyone can judge which direction you'd wanna take the club in.

• 22-Dec-2011 10:03 | | colesy
  

  Thanks Richie. I can guess that you'd be happy to keep Wenger until he dies (regardless of what he does). But lets play devils advocate here, who would you have as the next boss?

• 22-Dec-2011 11:35 | | richie
  

  Well naturally son of Wenger! Oh no sorry I forgot he's only got a daughter. Therefore as AKB in chief I guess I'd settle for whoever Arsene thinks could best continue his great legacy at our club. Arsene at the moment seems to favour an Ex great player and mildly successful manager in one Dragan Stojkovic.

• 24-Dec-2011 13:37 | | Stevo
  

  EVERYTIME? so how many times is that in the last 20 years? i think the ratio dips straight over to us u fucking twat , fuck off back to the shit hole.

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