Media thread 2022/23

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It's Guardiola, not money, that gives City the real edge​

​

Martin Samuel​

It seems contrary, when a £100 million forward scores the winning goal, to suggest Manchester City are not top because of the money. Of course, the money is a factor. It was Erling Haaland who scrambled Gabriel's brains into a series of second-half mistakes, it was Jack Grealish whose low shot defeated Aaron Ramsdale to drag Arsenal kicking and screaming from the summit.
Yet that isn't all of it, in so many ways. Not even half of it, really. There are a lot of expensively assembled teams in this league, and across Europe, a lot of coaches who can chequebook their way out when trouble arises. Few set up at Arsenal the way Pep Guardiola did. Few would detail a player of Bernardo Silva's height and skillset to play left back against Bukayo Saka, the most prolific young goalscorer in Arsenal's history.
Well, left back and then some, this being Guardiola. Left back and central midfield when in possession; left back and joining up with the forwards when the moment is right. Left back and let's face it you wouldn't really have been surprised had he ended up on the scoresheet. That kind of left back. A Guardiola left back. There is no one quite like him.
And, worryingly, for the team formerly known as the league leaders, this isn't even Manchester City at their best. They can do more than this we all know that. Arsenal had the better of the first half. An hour in and there was still a huge amount of hope inside the Emirates Stadium that this could be the night they had all been waiting for.
True, elements of good fortune could be claimed. The penalty award that brought Arsenal back into the game when it appeared Ederson, the goalkeeper, had done everything to make himself harmless, save disappear in a puff of smoke. The shoe size or two that Haaland was offside before being manhandled by Gabriel in the penalty area. Luck favoured the league leaders.
Yet there is still so much to like about this Arsenal side; not least that they have made the Emirates Stadium sound as its architects must have imagined it: boisterous, confident, raucous, a place fit and proper for a team with the potential to be champions. It has rarely felt like that until this season, sadly. Even when Arsenal were Champions League fixtures under Arsène Wenger it always seemed that Arsenal missed Highbury; that they were better at the old place, all intimacy and glorious, invincible ghosts. The Emirates turned in troubled times too, and there were plenty of them. The year, 2004, next to the Premier League trophy in the roll of honour around the perimeter existed not so much as source of pride but as a dreadful reminder of what had been lost.
And this team have changed that.
They have made 60,000 not just dream but believe and that was certainly the mood for much of the game. Then City stole it away. Their second-half display was that of players who knew the course and distance, and a manager who had the utmost faith in them. The Emirates did not turn, but nor did it reply once the third went in and Haaland claimed his 26th league goal of the season. He had been superb all night: just a big, ugly handful for any defender venturing near him, turning Gabriel, teasing, bruising. The first billion-dollar baby in the making? He's a way off that yet, but the goal that sealed the game and a performance that helped City to dominate the half showed why some think one day it will be achieved.
But back to Guardiola. There was a moment in the first half when Kyle Walker took a fall on to his back from height after an aerial tussle and lay stricken on the pitch. He was clearly going to need treatment for a short time. Guardiola used that moment to give an impromptu coaching session. He summoned Silva, Nathan Aké, Ilkay Gundogan. He moved his hands swiftly as if shadow boxing, indicating when one needed to drop in, when one needed to step out. At one stage, a member of the group must have repeated his instructions. "No, no, no," said Guardiola professional lip-readers not needed here and proceeded to go through the lesson again. Quite probably he expanded on those instructions in the 15 half-time minutes and City were simply better after that.
And yes, money buys talent, and talent makes a coach's job easier. Yet the fact also remains that the more time City's players have spent with Guardiola, the better and stronger they have become. Grealish is a better player now than when he left Aston Villa. Aké looks world-class. Kevin De Bruyne was immense, again. The fear is that having gloried in this title race for so long, we may now be looking at a procession into spring. Guardiola will fancy the return when these teams meet at the Etihad, and there is a growing feeling that Arsenal's blip is becoming more of a drama, bordering on crisis. It is four games without a win in all competitions and while two of those matches have been against City, both have ended in defeat.
The Emirates wasn't angry at the end, just quiet and resigned. They came to see the champions and they probably did, but not the champions they had hoped for. Money helps, but it's not the only reason City have made this competition their own.
 

Henry Winter​

Captions:
<span class="hl">De</span> <span class="hl">Bruyne</span> wags a finger at Arteta during their touchline altercation
Haaland finds the net for the third City goal at the Emirates last night
Arsenal 1 Saka 42 (pen)13 Man City 3 De Bruyne 24, Grealish 72, Haaland 82
That's why they're champions. That's why Manchester City's thoroughbreds were always going to hunt down Arsenal's hopefuls. That's why it was mad for people to doubt Kevin De Bruyne, who scored City's first and was involved in the second-half strikes for Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland. "We are top of the league," rang out from the joyous City fans.
Even when Arsenal were eight points clear, City's threat was apparent. They have so much talent. De Bruyne was superb, Rodri made one of the interceptions of the season on Granit Xhaka and Grealish showed why he is keeping Phil Foden out. They have so much experience. Arsenal have not won the league for 19 years. City have not won it for nine months. City have Pep Guardiola, who kept setting Arsenal challenges and whose decision to bring on Manuel Akanji and move Bernardo Silva to the right wing paid off handsomely, strengthening the defence and giving City an additional attacking outlet. "We've got Guardiola," sang the City fans.
It was a special occasion, the Premier League gatecrashing European week, London calling far and wide, and even more touts outside Holloway Road Tube as half-and-half scarf vendors. The game lived up to the hype, City taking the lead beautifully through De Bruyne's curling long-ranger, then Bukayo Saka showing all his technique and character by converting a low penalty. Then came all the drama in the second half, relentless end-to-end football, with even a starring and judicious intervention from VAR and then Grealish and Haaland sending City top.
What a night. What a twist in the title race. Expectation hung heavy in the air from hours before and was soon joined by the smoke of the flares set off in celebration of the goals. Arsenal fans had gathered in the Hemingford, the Tolly and all the other popular local hostelries, absorbing the news that Jorginho was making his first start after Thomas Partey felt a problem in his back. They optimistically debated major moments that had defined league campaigns: "It's up for grabs now" at Anfield in 1989, Tony Adams turning into Thierry Henry against Everton in 1998, the Invincibles winning the title at White Hart Lane in 2004. They believed. So did City ? so experienced, so familiar with these tests, so in control in the second half.
Inside the Emirates, Arsenal guests queued to shake the hand of Charlie George, a man who knows what it takes to win the title with Arsenal. But all involved with Arsenal knew the formidable challenge posed by City. Arsenal are developing but City look more the finished article. They're fighters, players like Kyle
Walker refusing to ease their grip on the trophy. They stood up to Arsenal's early threat. Rúben Dias blocked Eddie Nketiah's shot. City kept hounding Saka, especially Silva, not obviously one of the game's noted assassins. Silva played central midfield, full back, occasionally attack and his heat map would have taken in Saka's calves. Mikel Arteta fumed on the touchline until referee Anthony Taylor finally took action at Silva's fourth foul on Saka and was booked under a totting up process. Guardiola shook his head.
City's travelling fans were, as usual, out in force in the capital, with countless more tuning in from South Africa to North Carolina, posting flags and good luck messages on the City match thread. After 27 minutes, City supporters were celebrating as they were treated to De Bruyne's first goal since October, beautifully finished after a moment that will haunt the sleep and probably waking hours of Takehiro Tomiyasu. Grealish harried the Japanese international, who underhit his back-pass towards Aaron Ramsdale. De Bruyne anticipated the development and ran on to the ball, curling it past the advancing Ramsdale and into the net.
A year ago, Arsenal fans might have turned. Here they responded, leaping from their seats, urging the team on. They immediately sang the name of "Super Tomiyasu", backing him. They still believed. Given Silva's persistent hounding of Saka, there was some poetic justice when the Arsenal winger scored. It came after 42 minutes when Ederson's momentum took him into Nketiah, who had run on to Xhaka's pass and slid the ball goalwards past the City 'keeper. It was an accidental collision and "play on" in old money, but a penalty in the modern era. Jorginho briefly became involved in discussions about who should take the penalty but Saka demanded it. He took responsibility.
He ignored the obvious delaying tactics of Ilkay Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez and Dias, who were trying to unsettle him. He kept his nerve. From a short run-in, Saka gave Ederson the eyes before driving his kick low and hard to the left as the Brazil star dived the other way. Arsenal believed even more.
They showed they could respond to City, that they had the character. Arsenal still knew that City would come back at them and, shortly after, Rodri's header bounced down, kissed the foot of Nathan Aké and went on to the bar. That's why this is such a terrific title race, contested by two front-foot sides, coached by two attacking managers, even if Arteta remains in Guardiola's long shadow. Arteta even got involved in the game, touching the ball away from De Bruyne as the City player tried to take a throw-in. De Bruyne pushed Arteta back. Arsenal fans just sang Arteta's name even louder.
Gabriel then dragged Haaland down, but VAR intervened as the Norwegian was offside. When the decision was confirmed, the cheer was deafening. Both sides went for it. Tomiyasu's cross begged for a finishing touch. Ramsdale dived at Haaland's feet. Guardiola sent on Akanji for Mahrez, Aké took over full-time Saka duty and Silva went right.
City looked more secure defensively and Silva had a key role in their second. De Bruyne headed the ball towards Silva, Gabriel intervened but his flicked clearance was too tame and Silva seized on it. Silva played it down the inside-left channel for Haaland, who selflessly squared it, Gundogan dummied and now Grealish had his chance. Ramsdale ran from his line and tried to set himself, but Grealish's shot clipped Tomiyasu and beat Ramsdale.
City still needed a well-judged tackle by Rodri to see off Xhaka before they saw off Arsenal with their third. City flowed forward, Gundogan to De Bruyne to Haaland, who took a touch and then drilled the ball past Ramsdale. City are top. Catch them if you can.
Arsenal (4-3-3): A Ramsdale 7 ? T Tomiyasu 4 (B White 83min), W Saliba 6, Gabriel 4, O Zinchenko 6 ? M Odegaard 7, Jorginho 5, G Xhaka 6 (F Vieira 82) ? B Saka 8, E Nketiah 5, G Martinelli 5 (L Trossard 76). Booked Tomiyasu, Nketiah.
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson 4 ? K Walker 6, R Dias 7, N Ake 6, B Silva 7 ? Rodri 7, K De Bruyne 8 (K Phillips 88), I Gundogan 7 ? R Mahrez 6 (M Akanji 61, 6), E Haaland 9, J Grealish 8 (P Foden 76). Booked Walker, Ederson, Silva, Grealish. Referee A Taylor.
Former Premier League referee Peter Walton on Arsenal's penalty
Arsenal's penalty, awarded when Ederson's follow-through took him into Eddie Nketiah after the striker had shot towards goal, was at the softer end of the scale. Some referees would have considered the contact as part of a legal challenge, but Anthony Taylor was within his rights to see it as careless from the City goalkeeper, and therefore a foul. As a careless challenge, however, there was no need to show a yellow card, which would have been Ederson's second.
 
Kinkybyname said:

It's Guardiola, not money, that gives City the real edge​

​

Martin Samuel​

It seems contrary, when a £100 million forward scores the winning goal, to suggest Manchester City are not top because of the money. Of course, the money is a factor. It was Erling Haaland who scrambled Gabriel's brains into a series of second-half mistakes, it was Jack Grealish whose low shot defeated Aaron Ramsdale to drag Arsenal kicking and screaming from the summit.
Yet that isn't all of it, in so many ways. Not even half of it, really. There are a lot of expensively assembled teams in this league, and across Europe, a lot of coaches who can chequebook their way out when trouble arises. Few set up at Arsenal the way Pep Guardiola did. Few would detail a player of Bernardo Silva's height and skillset to play left back against Bukayo Saka, the most prolific young goalscorer in Arsenal's history.
Well, left back and then some, this being Guardiola. Left back and central midfield when in possession; left back and joining up with the forwards when the moment is right. Left back and let's face it you wouldn't really have been surprised had he ended up on the scoresheet. That kind of left back. A Guardiola left back. There is no one quite like him.
And, worryingly, for the team formerly known as the league leaders, this isn't even Manchester City at their best. They can do more than this we all know that. Arsenal had the better of the first half. An hour in and there was still a huge amount of hope inside the Emirates Stadium that this could be the night they had all been waiting for.
True, elements of good fortune could be claimed. The penalty award that brought Arsenal back into the game when it appeared Ederson, the goalkeeper, had done everything to make himself harmless, save disappear in a puff of smoke. The shoe size or two that Haaland was offside before being manhandled by Gabriel in the penalty area. Luck favoured the league leaders.
Yet there is still so much to like about this Arsenal side; not least that they have made the Emirates Stadium sound as its architects must have imagined it: boisterous, confident, raucous, a place fit and proper for a team with the potential to be champions. It has rarely felt like that until this season, sadly. Even when Arsenal were Champions League fixtures under Arsène Wenger it always seemed that Arsenal missed Highbury; that they were better at the old place, all intimacy and glorious, invincible ghosts. The Emirates turned in troubled times too, and there were plenty of them. The year, 2004, next to the Premier League trophy in the roll of honour around the perimeter existed not so much as source of pride but as a dreadful reminder of what had been lost.
And this team have changed that.
They have made 60,000 not just dream but believe and that was certainly the mood for much of the game. Then City stole it away. Their second-half display was that of players who knew the course and distance, and a manager who had the utmost faith in them. The Emirates did not turn, but nor did it reply once the third went in and Haaland claimed his 26th league goal of the season. He had been superb all night: just a big, ugly handful for any defender venturing near him, turning Gabriel, teasing, bruising. The first billion-dollar baby in the making? He's a way off that yet, but the goal that sealed the game and a performance that helped City to dominate the half showed why some think one day it will be achieved.
But back to Guardiola. There was a moment in the first half when Kyle Walker took a fall on to his back from height after an aerial tussle and lay stricken on the pitch. He was clearly going to need treatment for a short time. Guardiola used that moment to give an impromptu coaching session. He summoned Silva, Nathan Aké, Ilkay Gundogan. He moved his hands swiftly as if shadow boxing, indicating when one needed to drop in, when one needed to step out. At one stage, a member of the group must have repeated his instructions. "No, no, no," said Guardiola professional lip-readers not needed here and proceeded to go through the lesson again. Quite probably he expanded on those instructions in the 15 half-time minutes and City were simply better after that.
And yes, money buys talent, and talent makes a coach's job easier. Yet the fact also remains that the more time City's players have spent with Guardiola, the better and stronger they have become. Grealish is a better player now than when he left Aston Villa. Aké looks world-class. Kevin De Bruyne was immense, again. The fear is that having gloried in this title race for so long, we may now be looking at a procession into spring. Guardiola will fancy the return when these teams meet at the Etihad, and there is a growing feeling that Arsenal's blip is becoming more of a drama, bordering on crisis. It is four games without a win in all competitions and while two of those matches have been against City, both have ended in defeat.
The Emirates wasn't angry at the end, just quiet and resigned. They came to see the champions and they probably did, but not the champions they had hoped for. Money helps, but it's not the only reason City have made this competition their own.
Click to expand...
I can never read Martin Samuel again.
He called Alfies lad ugly !!
 
Just read the latest report on the England ladies win last night. I quote " Chelsea's Lauren James was a standout performer as she scored her first goal for the Lionesses in the second half after earlier winning a penalty, which Georgia Stanway coolly fire in for the opener. England had dominated possession and were cruising in the second half after Chloe Kelly made it 2-0 within 16 seconds of the restart, before Manchester United's Alessia Russo smartly dinked it past the goalkeeper at the near post." 2 players clubs mentioned and 2 ( 1 ex-city ) not mentioned. Is this what journalism has become? Absolutely pathetic.
 
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