There was a certain irony to the fact that Arsenal’s one piece of productive play in their 3-1 defeat to Manchester City came from some vintage football from their defenders. Nacho Monreal flicked the ball on from a corner, for Laurent Koscielny to head in. How many times did we see that from Tony Adams
There was a certain irony to the fact that Arsenal’s one piece of productive play in their 3-1 defeat to Manchester City came from some vintage football from their defenders. Nacho Monreal flicked the ball on from a corner, for Laurent Koscielny to head in. How many times did we see that from Tony Adams and Steve Bould over the course of their careers? That was of course precisely why television cameras cut to the latter, the Arsenal assistant manager, at that moment.
Bould actually looked fairly unmoved by it all, but his facial expressions for what followed would have been much more interesting.
Because that really was as good as it got, by a long way. There wasn’t much vintage play from Arsenal defenders from then on in.
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There was the usual chaos, and lack of organisation, that was inevitably picked off and punished by Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero.
This also brutally demonstrated how, even more so than the controversy over Mesut Ozil, such disorder remains Arsenal’s biggest current problem.
1/23 Manchester City vs Arsenal
Who impressed as Pep Guardiola’s side beat Unai Emery’s at the Etihad Stadium?
The Independent
2/23 Ederson – 8 out of 10
Came off his line superbly to beat Aubameyang to the ball. Little he could do to prevent Koscielny’s equaliser.
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3/23 Kyle Walker – 6 out of 10
An improvement on some recent performances. Comfortable when in a back three after playing the same role with England.
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4/23 Nicolas Otamendi – 6 out of 10
A forceful presence at the back, sometimes too forceful. One robust first-half challenge on Lacazette went unnoticed.
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5/23 Aymeric Laporte – 7 out of 10
Picks up a rare assist, crossing for Aguero’s first, then saw a goal disallowed for offside. Covered well for Sterling, who was alone on the left flank.
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6/23 Fernandinho – 7 out of 10
Initially struggled to exert his usual control over the midfield in the first half, perhaps because he had to keep dropping back into defence, but improved.
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7/23 Bernardo Silva – 7 out of 10
Out of position on the wing and less influential than he often is in a central role but still troubled Arsenal’s left side.
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8/23 Ilkay Gundogan – 8 out of 10
Almost faultless when distributing the ball. A delicate chip over the top of the defence in the build-up to Aguero’s goal was his best.
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9/23 David Silva – 7 out of 10
Not masterful from Il Mago but an all-round improvement on his display at St James’ Park, sprinkled with the odd special touch or pass.
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10/23 Kevin De Bruyne – 6 out of 10
Did not have his usual influence on the game. An off-day though hardly anything to be concerned about.
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11/23 Raheem Sterling – 8 out of 10
Created two of Aguero’s three, ghosting superbly behind Lichtsteiner for the second. Asked to cover the entire left flank but did not look out of place.
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12/23 Sergio Aguero – 9 out of 10
Header, right foot, left arm. An unconventional hat-trick but his 14th in City colours. The wrong side of 30 now but his predatory instincts have not waned.
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13/23 Bernd Leno – 6 out of 10
Dives too early and the wrong way for Aguero’s first but denied City impressively on several occasions after it.
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14/23 Stephan Lichtsteiner – 5 out of 10
Caught out by Sterling’s intelligent movement, particularly on City’s second. Arsenal’s third-choice at right back and it showed.
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15/23 Shkodran Mustafi – 6 out of 10
Equalises from Torreira corner, Monreal flick-on, but culpable for letting Aguero go at the far post for City’s crucial second.
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16/23 Laurent Koscielny – 5 out of 10
Five yards behind the rest of the Arsenal defence for Aguero’s first, playing every City player onside, though perhaps did not anticipate Iwobi’s error.
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17/23 Nacho Monreal – 7 out of 10
Neat near-post flick-on for Koscielny’s equaliser. Coped well enough with Bernardo despite being given little support.
18/23 Alex Iwobi – 5 out of 10
Dispossessed deep in his own half by Laporte. Attempted to make up for his mistake and was tidy enough, though did little to atone.
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19/23 Lucas Torreira – 8 out of 10
Made several key interceptions and tackles, especially as momentum shifted towards Arsenal in the first half.
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20/23 Matteo Guendouzi – 7 out of 10
Poor start but did not hide and grew into the game as it went on. Largely shut down City’s midfield with Torreira until the game got away from Arsenal.
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21/23 Sead Kolasinac – 6 out of 10
Stationed at left midfield but perhaps too adventurous for his full-back’s liking, with Monreal left one-on-one with Bernardo too often.
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22/23 Alexandre Lacazette – 6 out of 10
Him and Aubameyang were sat strangely deep, bulking up Arsenal’s midfield, and this affected his ability to get forward.
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23/23 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 6 out of 10
As with Lacazette, often too deep to threaten, though a little brighter than his partner and Arsenal’s main threat on the counter-attack.
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1/23 Manchester City vs Arsenal
Who impressed as Pep Guardiola’s side beat Unai Emery’s at the Etihad Stadium?
The Independent
2/23 Ederson – 8 out of 10
Came off his line superbly to beat Aubameyang to the ball. Little he could do to prevent Koscielny’s equaliser.
Getty
3/23 Kyle Walker – 6 out of 10
An improvement on some recent performances. Comfortable when in a back three after playing the same role with England.
Getty
4/23 Nicolas Otamendi – 6 out of 10
A forceful presence at the back, sometimes too forceful. One robust first-half challenge on Lacazette went unnoticed.
Getty
5/23 Aymeric Laporte – 7 out of 10
Picks up a rare assist, crossing for Aguero’s first, then saw a goal disallowed for offside. Covered well for Sterling, who was alone on the left flank.
Getty
6/23 Fernandinho – 7 out of 10
Initially struggled to exert his usual control over the midfield in the first half, perhaps because he had to keep dropping back into defence, but improved.
Getty
7/23 Bernardo Silva – 7 out of 10
Out of position on the wing and less influential than he often is in a central role but still troubled Arsenal’s left side.
Getty
8/23 Ilkay Gundogan – 8 out of 10
Almost faultless when distributing the ball. A delicate chip over the top of the defence in the build-up to Aguero’s goal was his best.
Getty
9/23 David Silva – 7 out of 10
Not masterful from Il Mago but an all-round improvement on his display at St James’ Park, sprinkled with the odd special touch or pass.
Getty
10/23 Kevin De Bruyne – 6 out of 10
Did not have his usual influence on the game. An off-day though hardly anything to be concerned about.
Getty
11/23 Raheem Sterling – 8 out of 10
Created two of Aguero’s three, ghosting superbly behind Lichtsteiner for the second. Asked to cover the entire left flank but did not look out of place.
Getty
12/23 Sergio Aguero – 9 out of 10
Header, right foot, left arm. An unconventional hat-trick but his 14th in City colours. The wrong side of 30 now but his predatory instincts have not waned.
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13/23 Bernd Leno – 6 out of 10
Dives too early and the wrong way for Aguero’s first but denied City impressively on several occasions after it.
Getty
14/23 Stephan Lichtsteiner – 5 out of 10
Caught out by Sterling’s intelligent movement, particularly on City’s second. Arsenal’s third-choice at right back and it showed.
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15/23 Shkodran Mustafi – 6 out of 10
Equalises from Torreira corner, Monreal flick-on, but culpable for letting Aguero go at the far post for City’s crucial second.
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16/23 Laurent Koscielny – 5 out of 10
Five yards behind the rest of the Arsenal defence for Aguero’s first, playing every City player onside, though perhaps did not anticipate Iwobi’s error.
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17/23 Nacho Monreal – 7 out of 10
Neat near-post flick-on for Koscielny’s equaliser. Coped well enough with Bernardo despite being given little support.
18/23 Alex Iwobi – 5 out of 10
Dispossessed deep in his own half by Laporte. Attempted to make up for his mistake and was tidy enough, though did little to atone.
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19/23 Lucas Torreira – 8 out of 10
Made several key interceptions and tackles, especially as momentum shifted towards Arsenal in the first half.
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20/23 Matteo Guendouzi – 7 out of 10
Poor start but did not hide and grew into the game as it went on. Largely shut down City’s midfield with Torreira until the game got away from Arsenal.
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21/23 Sead Kolasinac – 6 out of 10
Stationed at left midfield but perhaps too adventurous for his full-back’s liking, with Monreal left one-on-one with Bernardo too often.
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22/23 Alexandre Lacazette – 6 out of 10
Him and Aubameyang were sat strangely deep, bulking up Arsenal’s midfield, and this affected his ability to get forward.
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23/23 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 6 out of 10
As with Lacazette, often too deep to threaten, though a little brighter than his partner and Arsenal’s main threat on the counter-attack.
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That’s all the more pointed because it’s been such a problem for so long. Arsenal are still just not dependable at the back, in any way.
What is really most galling is that this is one of the few things that has persisted from Arsene Wenger’s last years, and has maybe got worse.
Arsenal currently have the seventh worst defensive record in the Premier League, with Newcastle United one of the sides better than them in that regard, which is why it just never really felt likely that Unai Emery’s side would put up the kind of resilience that forced a victory against City for Rafa Benitez in midweek.
It’s all the more notable, though, because this was precisely the sort of thing that Emery was supposed to address. Arsenal players used to complain about the lack of organisation and basic defensive structure with Wenger, but these are qualities that the Spanish manager has pretty much made his name on.
What is frustrating is you can see a semblance of some of this, particularly in midfield. There is much more directed running from players like Matteo Guendouzi, Lucas Torreira and even Granit Xhaka. It’s just it often comes to nought, explaining the need for a link man like Denis Suarez, or is undercut by underperformances in behind.
Maybe some of this does come down to basic quality.
Koscielny has always had talent as a defender, but there have similarly always been questions about the application, about the focus. When he made a horror error in a big game last season, a prominent member of the Arsenal coaching staff just rolled his eyes and asked what would you expect.
Even Wenger was said to feel that Koscielny never offered those cast-iron guarantees that the title-winning centre-halves – Sol Campbell, John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand – really did.
Then there’s Shkodran Mustafi. The only guarantee he seems to offer is that he will be outdone in a game, or exposed. That makes it all the more remarkable that Emery apparently sees him as one of the more reliable Arsenal defenders.
That maybe says it all, and why this team are where they are – and perform like they do.
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