Arsenal Pummeled by City As They Cannon Six Past Gunners

Many spoke of Arsenal being title favourites due to their position at the top of the table, compounded with City not strutting their stuff away from the Etihad. Today’s game though, would have changed many a mind, and Arsenal might not recover from this thrashing. City certainly clobbered them. 

I'll raise my hands for predicting that Arsenal would win, as that was thrown out the window after 12 minutes. 

It took more than 420 seconds for Arsenal to get a touch of that football. That is more of tribute to the way Manchester City came out of the blocks compared to Arsenal playing badly. 

At times, it looked as though City had 12 men on the pitch, all down to Yaya Toure. Man that boy can play. Yes, some may say that he was at fault for Walcott’s first goal as the ball was nicked off him by Aaron Ramsey, but Toure was a beast. Earth-shattering at times. Perhaps, what Piers Morgan said was true, he did grow quite a bit since last weekend. 

The first goal arrived courtesy of Aguero, via a Samir Nasri corner helped on by Demichelis. Koscielny could have done better. No team can afford to leave the little Argentine tank unmarked 5 yards from goal, its suicide. 

City fans call Negredo ‘The Beast’, and he dutifully made the right move in the box, nipping in ahead of Koscielny and side-footed the ball past Szczesny but Toure was at the heart of that move. Man, that boy can play. Monreal though, drafted into the lineup in place of Gibbs, was non-existent in the first half. 

Things got worse after the restart. Flamini had the ball outside Arsenal’s box, lost it to Fernandinho and the Brazilian did what all those who hail from Rio do, and curled a majestic shot past beyond the goalkeeper. 3-1. Arsenal looked at least 2 yards off the pace. Napoli springs to mind but they knew it was coming. 

Ozil misplaced a pass, Giroud had a chance to square the ball to Walcott who would’ve had a tap-in but decided to shoot with his weaker foot. Moments later, Sagna curled in a splendid cross but Giroud couldn’t apply the finish. Arsenal managed to pull one goal back through a sweet strike which ended between Joe Hart’s former goalposts. 

Barely minutes later though, the little Spanish magician, David Silva, restored the two-goal cushion. Monreal again was lackadaisical in his defending and it cost Arsenal dearly. 4-2. 

Arsenal were never in the game, with the likes of Jack Wilshere especially, extremely disappointing with his passing, often seen mucking about a misplaced pass with Giroud. 

City though, looked like they were about to rampage, almost scoring from every attack mounted. But for Szczesny, Arsenal would’ve seen double figures. 

Fernandinho, who had never scored for City prior to this game, managed to get a brace on the night. And what a lovely dink it was, Pellegrini’s men were really at their top today. Full of gusto and certainly a fair bit of oomph, Yaya Toure sealed the night from the spot, after Mertesacker had headed one in during injury time. 

To all who doubted Arsenal, well they will definitely be out with their knives following this performace. 

A day of joy and victory for Manchester City, and possibly, a turning point in the title race. Arsenal may be top of the table now, but not for too long. The blue half of Manchester are without a doubt, clear favourites for the title. 

Dr. Jekyll did indeed turn up today. 6-3

Wizard of Oz to Steal the Show at the Etihad

Football commentators are probably struggling to get a grip on Manchester City and their performances at and away from the Etihad Stadium. All this leads to me thinking that instead of relying on former players and managers for tactical nous, it might then be more advisable to look to none other than the man who penned Dr. Jekyll and Hyde, because it indeed is a strange case. Step up Robert Louis Stevenson. 

City have scored 2800 goals this season at home (cynicism intended) but have been a bunch of poppycocks away from their back yard. One may point to the midweek result at the Allianz Arena but even Arsenal fans were not overjoyed after their team beat the Munich stalwarts in February this year. On both occasions, Bayern were nowhere near what they can be. The pair though, did play quite well to beat the Germans but that discussion should be left for next year when the Champions League resumes. 

Poison ball. 

Two words that Arsene Wenger should impart on his players. Because if they perform at the level they most definitely can, with the trio of magicians in Cazorla, Ozil and Wilshere, supported by Ramsey and Flamini (as I don’t think Arteta should start today), the Gunners can certainly cause the upset of the season, because City have been that good. 

A zip in passing and movement has to be key tonight, especially if Roberto Mancini, sorry, I mean Manuel Pellegrini, deploys two men in the middle of the park tonight. 

Tottenham played a similar way a month ago, and though the result did not mean anything other than shoes and bottles thrown at Andre Villas-Boas, the men from White Hart Lane actually did control the ball and create some chances. 

The only change that Pellegrini will make will either be Navas or Silva, with Nasri, Toure and Fernandhinho as shoe ins for the game. Argentina and Spain are represented up top for the Mancunians. 

City will have the ball for periods in tonight’s game. That’s how they are drilled to play, it is like riding a train by a countryside in Switzerland, from a far it looks like a pleasant journey and the train moving at a gentle pace. One thing’s for sure, you don’t want to get in the way of that train, and Yaya Toure epitomises this. 

Everyone knows City will be great tonight. They have been all season at home. What people aren’t sure of is how good will Arsenal be. Wenger’s troops haven’t yet come up against the ‘creme de la creme’ in the Premier League, apologies to Man United fans. 

The game at Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion was, I think, the most threatened the Gunners have been this season. 

If Walcott is drafted into tonight’s line-up, it might worry City. Theo could trouble Aleksandr Kolarov and Martin Demichelis if gets up in support of Giroud. Cazorla and Ozil should play, with Ramsey getting the central midfield role just ahead of Flamini. He will do a good job as he’s been doing all season of shielding the back four. 

Arsenal, if they mimic the action of a simple sponge, they might do well tonight. Soak up the pressure and splash at City’s defense. They have yet to be tested this season at home. Vociferous they have been, City’s fans I mean. 

My one worry is Giroud. A thousand apologies to all his supporters, but the solid Frenchman does not cut it at this level. Yes, he has a good touch and is momentous in the air, but he lacks the pace and finishing ability possessed by previous Arsenal strikers. If he gets a chance, you’re not sure whether he’s going to put the ball past the opposing goalkeeper, but in Sergio Aguero, City have a mini bull who has the panache of Michelangelo. 

But, like how the saying goes, as the going get tough............ Arsenal to win 1-0. 

Spurs Could Do A Lazarus and Come Back From The Dead

I was approached a few days ago by someone I did not know at all, but a conversation was struck as this person sported a Manchester United number 11 jersey on his back. It indeed is amazing to think that the Welshman has achieved such a feat, hitting the golden age of 40 just a day ago. And it all isn't just Ryan Giggs and his golden age, this man can still strut his stuff. To those in doubt, do catch the replay of Man Utd's trip to currently the 2nd best team in the Bundesliga (doubt it'll last for long though after that showing).

With that being said though, tonight' game will certainly be a belter, and will pose many questions as to how far David Moyes has come as Man. Utd. coach, conceivably even banishing memories of Morgan Amalfitano's dummy to land David De Gea on his behind.

Tottenham will no doubt come into this game needing to prove themselves, as they've not justified the splurging of more than a 100 million pounds, with more than half of that going to acquire the duo of Erik Lamela (30 million) and Roberto Soldado (26 million), and both have not convinced one bit. What a stage to put it right. To think that Sergio Aguero has scored more goals than the whole of the Spurs team is astounding to say the least. No doubt Gareth Bale is being missed severely (he just scored a hat trick, mind you) but there is justifying to do, and that has to come from Andre Villas-Boas.

The team isn't all that bad actually, quite the contrary. To think that they have the likes of Jermain Defoe up front, with a quartet of midfield maestros in the shape of Eriksen, Dembele, Paulinho and even Holtby, much stronger than what the reigning champions can put out in their first 11. Only Michael Carrick I would think, is good enough for a place in Tottenham's trio in the middle of the park. That's where this game tonight can be won and lost.

Moussa Dembele has to play, and Villas-Boas will deep down affirm, that he made a mistake keeping the Belgian on the bench against the slaughter by Man City. With the ball at his feet, and a cultured left peg at that, Dembele at times is like a gazelle in the way he floats past players in possession of the football, plus he has a great physique to go along with it.

Paulinho should patrol in front of the Spurs defence and negate the threat of Wayne Rooney. United's number 10 has to be denied space or the side from Old Trafford will run ragged against the Spuds. Eriksen should start if fit, or Gylfi Sigurdsson must come in for him. Lewis Holtby has the legs but lacks guile to unlock the door of the top defences in town.

For once, AVB could perhaps start with Jermain Defoe, flanked with Townsend and Lennon on the left and right wings respectively. That's what Spurs had last season, blistering pace on the break. With Soldado, they can't do that as he's a 'box player', and only sparks into life in the 18-yard box. Outside that, he's as good as a sitting duck. Putting Townsend on the left wing will help the Spurs attack as it'll curb his insistence on coming in on his left foot and letting fly. England's winger has had the most shots on goal but has scored only once thus far this season.

With all due respect, Michael Dawson should be benched for this game, he's too slow in the mind at the top level. Vertonghen is screaming out to play in the centre of that defence, alongside Kaboul. Naughton and Walker to take the remaining two places in the back four.

United will be looking to go in for the kill tonight, knowing the defeat could not only take Spurs out of the equation for the title race, but probably knock the stuffing out of them, so much so they might even struggle to make the top four. Look at Liverpool and Southampton's form.

Rooney and Giggs will be raring to go, but so will the likes of Nani, who put in his best performance of the season in Germany when he also bagged a goal against Leverkusen.

If the score is still blank at half time, the crowd could turn against Villas-Boas and his players. However, get a goal in the 1st half hour, and this could be a cracking game. They have it all to do Spurs, and there's something in me which says they might just surprise a few and bag the points at the Lane tonight. 2-1 Spurs (sorry United fans!)

Till next time.