3 Talking Points From Arsenal’s Epic Win At Etihad: Have The Gunners Turned A Corner?

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.

2. Unlucky 13 for City

Manchester City might have been on a 12-game unbeaten run in the League, but their performances over the past few games have certainly tailed off. Letting lead slip at home to Burnley, almost doing the same against Sunderland and only managing a draw against Everton. While hindsight is a beautiful thing, it is fair to say that a defeat was certainly coming. Maybe not at home, maybe not to a side who had lost their last seven visits to Manchester, but it was certainly on the cards.

In the end, City paid the price for being overly-reliant on one player and not necessarily having a plan B. With Yaya Toure on international duty, David Silva was always going to be City’s creator-in-chief and stopping him play, although difficult, would  have severely depleted their attacking prowess. Arsenal did exactly that and with Aguero still feeling his way back to fitness, City’s attack was toothless. For a side that  has spent so much money in the past few seasons, the home side lacked imagination in attack, sloppy in defense and extremely lucky that the Gunners didn’t take

Have the Gunners turned a corner?

Wenger

If there is one criticism that is often leveled at Arsenal, it is that, they are too easy to beat at times. Their football, while pretty, is one-dimensional and they lack a Plan B. Especially in big games, whether in the League or in Europe, their tendency to go all-out attack has left them exposed at the back. So it was a pleasant surprise to see them play with a defensive discipline and dogged determination to beat City.

The fact that was their first win over City, Chelsea or Manchester United since a 5-3 win at Stamford Bridge in October 2011 gave the away fans something to cheer about on their way back home. Although they had just 35% of the possession, the Gunners controlled the game by defending resolutely. With Francis Coquelin and Cazorla in front of the back four, the defense finally had some protection and as a result, came through the game without  breaking a sweat. Even though City had 16 corners, an area that is perceived to be a weakness for the Gunners, at no point did the hosts look like scoring and that is a testament to how well the visitors defended. If they can keep this up in the remaining tough away assignments, Arsenal will finally make the step from being perennial fourth-place finishers, to a team that can challenge for the title.