Was Man City against Arsenal a defensive jewel or drab draw?

The clash between Manchester City and Arsenal had all the anticipation of a heavy-weight title fight. Arsenal was on an eight-game winning streak, and it entered the matchday as the league leaders. Manchester City had not lost since the turn of the calendar year, and a win at home would allow Pep Guardiola’s side to keep pace in its bid to win the Premier League for the fourth year in a row. What fans got was a slow game that ended scoreless, far from the excitement that this fixture promised while fans waited during the March international break.

Viewers would be hard-pressed to find the standout moment of the game. Was it Nathan Ake’s header after 15 minutes that out of David Raya? Perhaps it was Gabriel Jesus or the long-range effort from Mateo Kovacic. It was a chess match between Pep Guardiola and his former understudy, Mikel Arteta. The only issue is that chess matches are boring for the neutral viewer, and this potentially historic clash between City and Arsenal will go down as one of the most forgettable.

One of the biggest issues with Pep Guardiola is the fact that he overthinks games. A brilliant tactician, Guardiola will try to outwork the other manager to exploit areas of concern. At the same time, he is defensively resolute. The only issue in doing this against Arsenal is that Mikel Arteta entered this game with the same mentality. Arsenal’s low block was strong, at times putting 10 players behind the ball while only Gabriel Jesus provided an outlet for escape. Manchester City prodded and pried away at the Arsenal backline to no avail. That led to passing, some scrappy play in the middle of the field and more aimless passing.

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A defensive focus from kickoff brings a draw between City and Arsenal

The issue with this game was apparent before the ball started rolling. Both Arsenal and Manchester City…

Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/was-man-city-against-arsenal-a-defensive-jewel-or-drab-draw

Author : Kyle Fansler

Publish date : 2024-04-01 18:17:22

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