Arsenal Stun City To Dent Title Bid

Manchester City    0        Arsenal    2

                                                                                                     Cazorla  23 (Pen)   Giroud  66

At last Arsenal have won away from home in a big game against a one of their title rivals. Who would have thought that when they conceded six at the Etihad Stadium last season?

Their 2-0 victory over Manchester City this afternoon was one full of discipline, resolve and professionalism, not exactly words you would have associated with the Arsenal side which were leaking goals in these sort of fixtures last season.

Olivier Giroud celebrates Arsenal's second goal

This was a team reformed from the one which lost 6-3 to City in this fixture last season and it was clear that Arsène Wenger had learnt from his previous mistakes.  

Arsenal didn’t beat City, the premier league Champions, by playing the traditional “Arsenal way” under Wenger. They left the Etihad having had just 35% possession, it’s hard to think of a time they had less, yet ultimately they got the job done.

They were compact in midfield, sharp on the counter attack and astutely stopped the likes of David Sliva and Sergio Aguero in City’s boisterous and at times lethal attack.

Santi Cazorla never stopped running and his energy in midfield epitomized Arsenal’s performance. He converted a penalty after 23 minutes to set the visitors on their way; his pinpoint free kick onto the head of Olivier Giroud to set up Arsenal’s second was simply the icing on the cake.

But this wasn’t just about one man and was a day where many Arsenal players stepped into the plate in a battling workmanlike performance. Francis Coquelin was unmovable in front of the back four; Laurent Koscielny brought a calming influence to the defence. But perhaps the most impressive thing of all was that keeper David Ospina barely had a shot to save; it was the type of game where everyone played their part.

“We played high up in their half (of the pitch)and very deep in our half and it worked well because we wanted to make space very tight especially in front of the box where Silva is so influential and we did it well.” Said Wenger after the match.

In contrast this was a denting result for City who now find themselves five points adrift from leaders Chelsea in the race for the title, making the game between the top two at Stamford Bridge in a fortnight’s time even more important for Manuel Pellegrini’s side.

“We must be clear that we didn’t play well” said Pellegrini after the game “We had a lot of possession and recovered the ball well but after that we didn’t have the ideas to be a creative team against a team like Arsenal who defended very well.”

The hosts were behind inside 23 minutes when Arsenal full back Nacho Monreal broke forward from and attempted a quick give and go with Giroud inside the City area. When the return pass came his way he was blocked by Vincent Kompany and referee Mike Dean pointed straight to the spot.  Joe Hart may have guessed the right way but Carzorla’s penalty was hard, low and out of reach.

City’s response was to throw on Stevan Jovetic in place of James Milner at half time, within a minute of the restart they’d had their first shot on target when Aguero cut in onto his left foot forcing Ospina to turn the ball wide.

The muted City attacks were beginning to pick up steam, on 50 minutes Jesus Navas’ stinging shot had to be beaten away by Ospina, nine minutes later City’s Spanish winger flashed a low cross across the penalty area where Koscielny made a crucial touch to prevent Aguero scoring an equaliser.

For a 10 minute spell the game abruptly became end to end, Ramsey could have doubled Arsenal’s lead after a measured Arsenal counter attack however the Welsh midfielder blazed over the cross bar from inside the area. In their bid for an equaliser City turned to the services of Frank Lampard who replaced Fernandinho on 62 minutes.  

Nevertheless the deficit was doubled four minutes later. Cazorla’s free kick into the heart of the City box oozed with quality and Giroud was on hand to flick his header past Hart after escaping the weak marking from City midfielder Fernando.

Even for City at the Etihad this had become a mountainous task, with one last throw of the dice Pellegrini through on Edin Dzeko to try to salvage a point but the newly formed Arsenal were proving a tough nut to crack.

Navas’ tame shot was comfortably saved by Ospina before Jovetic scuffed an effort wide inside the Arsenal’s penalty area but that was as close as it got and Arsenal closed out a memorable victory.

Man Of The Match : Santi Cazorla