'Psychological advantage' - The National media verdict on Arsenal's painful Man City draw
Arsenal were seconds away from a famous away win over Manchester City with 10 men on Sunday, conceding a last-gasp equaliser at the Etihad Stadium. In the grand scheme of things, the Gunners should be pleased with the results given the circumstances, with Leandro Trossard receiving his marching orders at the end of the first half.
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Hide AdBut the equaliser will still feel like a huge gut-punch given how close Arsenal were to securing a statement win. Here we take a look at how the national media covered the thrilling top-of-the-table encounter.
The Guardian
David Hytner wrote for The Guardian: “Arteta’s team were accused of parking the bus here in last season’s 0-0 draw. Now, as the second half kicked off, Ben White on for Saka, the formation was 5-4-0; White as the right-sided centre-half, Jurriën Timber outside of him. City tried to find a way through and, for long spells, it looked as though they had run out of ideas.
“There were hopeful shots from distance and how the home crowd howled as, beginning with Raya in the 64th minute, a succession of Arsenal players went to ground, signalling that they needed treatment. When Timber did so in the 89th minute, the physio was on like a flash. Arsenal would be breached at the very last, the emotions spilling over, one final melee between the players forming, although Arteta would take plenty of positives. City’s 100% record in the league has gone. In the heat of the moment, it almost felt like another victory.”
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Oliver Holt wrote in the Daily Mail: “Imagine Mafeking had fallen. In football terms, that is what happened here at the Etihad Stadium on a filthy afternoon in early autumn when the rain fell relentlessly and inexorably and Arsenal retreated to their ramparts and dedicated their hearts and their souls to repelling one of the Premier League’s greatest sieges.
“After Arsenal had been reduced to 10 men on the stroke of half time, they fell back to the edge of their area for the 45 minutes of the second half and seven minutes of added time that remained and decided they would back their formidable defence to keep even an attacking side as gifted and as clever as Manchester City at bay. And for almost all of that time, Arsenal held on to the 2-1 lead they held until relief was in sight and they could sense the joy that would assail them if they handed City their first home defeat in the Premier League since November 12, 2022, an invincible run that had lasted 680 days.
“They knew, even at this early stage of the season, what a huge psychological advantage that would bring them against rivals they have not quite been able to beat to the league title in the last two seasons. They drew 0-0 here last season and it was not enough. They knew they needed to win.
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Hide Ad“Their defiance was magnificent. The match turned into a training game of attack versus defence. The best attack in the league versus the best defence. Erling Haaland, who had just scored his 100th City goal in only his 105th appearance for the club, equalling Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for Real Madrid, against Gabriel and William Saliba. And for so long, Arsenal kept Haaland and Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish and Savinho at bay. David Raya was superb in the Arsenal goal, making save after save, until the crowd grew despondent and City struggled to find the improvisation or the spontaneity to make the breakthrough. And then, when Arsenal seemed to have broken City’s hearts in a match that could not have been more dramatically different to the stalemate that so many had predicted, the champions finally found a way.”
The Telegraph
Jason Burt wrote for The Telegraph: “It has to be said that as well as they did defend it was also a case of a curious number of their players going down for treatment and injury, which helped break up any City momentum. But it is hard to be too critical, surely, given the circumstances and who they were playing. Or maybe the Arsenal players were all genuinely hurt after what has been a taxing week – away to Tottenham Hotspur, Atalanta and now City?
“They have a win and two draws. It was so, so close to being two wins. Instead another City substitute Jack Grealish worked his way to the byline and picked out another replacement, Mateo Kovacic, whose shot sparked a scramble ended by Stones’ intervention.
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Hide Ad“And so Arsenal were that close to their greatest win under Arteta. It shows just how close they are to City having run them hard in the past two title races. This time they were seconds away – just as Liverpool were millimetres away – but will they rue that or laud it when the season is over?”
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