Manchester City vs Arsenal: 3 Talking Points
Santi Cazorla scored from the penalty spot and created another for Olivier Giroud as Arsenal secured an epic win at the Etihad stadium. City’s 14-game unbeaten run in all competitions came to an end as they stayed second, five points behind Chelsea, who they play in their next Premier League game.
Aside from the goal, which was the result of a silly foul form Vincent Kompany, the first half was largely attritional as the visitors were content on dropping deep and letting the home side dominate the ball. The opening 15 minutes of the second half was very open as the Gunners went in search of the second, which would have killed the game. Once they got it via a header from Giroud, they reverted back to being solid and compact.
Here are the major talking points from the game.
1. Cazorla shows Arsenal the way
All the talk before the match was about how this was going to be a battle between Alexis Sanchez and Sergio Aguero, two of the finest attackers in the Premier League. Instead, it was Santi Cazorla who encapsulated an Arsenal performance that showed plenty of grit and determination. Before the game, the Spaniard spoke about the “need to play with more spirit, with more aggression.”
On Sunday, Cazorla led from the front as he completely dominated the midfield in the absence of the injured Mikel Arteta. While he did have a hand in both goals, scoring one and creating another, it was his defensive discipline that stood out. Tackling isn’t one of his strong suits, but against City, he made several crucial tackles, some near his own box and broke up the City attack brilliantly. Not only that, he demanded the ball, beat players when he had it and most of all, made good use of it by picking out his teammate and helped his side clear their own lines. If the only criticism of you, is your goal celebration, then you know you have done exceptionally well.