It’s just one win and three points, but Arsenal’s 1-0 triumph against Manchester City on Sunday might have far-reaching consequences. Since January 2015, the Gunners have not defeated City in 15 Premier League matches. They have lost 12 straight games, including two last season when they were humiliated and outmuscled by Pep Guardiola’s side as they won their fifth championship in six years.
In that backdrop, the celebrations after Gabriel Martinelli’s deflected 86th-minute winner were cathartic: eight years of sorrow and misery exorcised in a moment that seemed like the breaking of a glass ceiling.
City were significantly below average — more on that later — but Arsenal overcame City despite being without talismanic winger Bukayo Saka for the first time in 88 league games, ending a hoodoo that has inevitably eaten away at their self-belief. Instead, they now have a positive reference point for future problems in the form of recollections of an event that rivaled anything Arsenal has had inside Emirates Stadium, which was a picture of jubilation after the final whistle.
“I don’t know if it was a barrier but obviously it was something we needed to go through,” Arteta remarked with a laugh. “To beat them, we have to lose against them, probably in the same way we lost at the Etihad.” Last season, we were the superior team and lost in two different ways. Today, the team demonstrated true maturity, which comes from experience. That is sometimes required in order to become a better team. It certainly sends a message to the squad to maintain believing in what they’re doing because they’re a terrific team. You need it to be there the way they try and the connection they have. So I’m quite pleased of myself.”
For lengthy stretches, Sunday’s game was a tense, tactical battle. It was just boring for long stretches of the second half.
Given the caliber of the opponent, this was Arsenal’s first league clean sheet at home this season. Arteta said that his team’s porous record was due to them unable to manage the passion of specific times, attacking too hastily, and leaving themselves vulnerable. They were much more balanced here, limiting City to four efforts and just one on target, which came in the fourth minute when Josko Gvardiol twisted a drive toward goal, which Declan Rice blocked off the line before Nathan Aké blasted over minutes later.
It was the most dangerous. City were dominant throughout the day, thanks to the way William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes kept Erling Haaland quiet, as well as Rice’s 13 defensive interventions, which were only topped by Gvardiol on each side. Haaland finished with an individual expected goal of 0.00.
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya was repeatedly chastised by home fans as he delayed in possession to play the ball, which Arteta accepted responsibility for.
“It’s all my fault,” he said. “They are free to boo me. That’s what I requested him to do. You start doing other things, especially against this squad, and you end yourself in huge, big, big problems. He was fantastic in the manner he controlled his box and came up with crosses in set pieces. He’s got a lot of them. As the crowd moves in this direction, other players begin to kick balls everywhere. “Make sure you don’t do it,” I told him.
However, City’s capacity to function without Kevin de Bruyne and Rodri is called into doubt after suffering back-to-back league losses for the first time since December 2018. Last season, De Bruyne played a key role in both City triumphs against Arsenal. There is no other midfielder in the league who can compete with him in possession.
Rodri’s absence seemed as important considering the confrontational character of this game, especially away from home. They’ve now lost five of their past eight league road games without Rodri. Their total victory percentage since his league debut in August 2019 is 74%. Without him, it reduces to less than 60%, and they have already lost to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup, Wolves last weekend, and Arsenal here while he serves a three-game ban.
“Rodri is a really important player like the other ones, for the fact that the last years he played a lot of games,” remarked Pep Guardiola. “The Carabao Cup game was different, but today’s game against Wolves was also important.” We are aware of it. It doesn’t matter, but we need to find a method to accomplish it without him.”
Spare a thought for Kalvin Phillips, who was told he was overweight after returning from the World Cup last season, then hearing Guardiola admit he can’t get the best out of him after City made a late move to sign Rice before he joined Arsenal from West Ham, and now unable to play – even as a substitute – when Rodri is out for the biggest game of the season so far.
Guardiola’s choice to saturate center midfield with Bernardo Silva, Mateo Kovacic, and Rico Lewis may have smothered Arsenal, but it cost City a lot of creativity.
“Because we didn’t have Rodri, I wanted more protection with the ball.” “We had players who were really good with the ball — Bernardo, Kovacic, Rico — players in the middle who could turn and attack,” Guardiola added.
It might have been a lot simpler day for Arsenal if Kovacic had been sent off, either for his first terrible challenge on Martin Odegaard (for which he was booked) or his second on Rice (for which he was not booked).
However, the fact that they won 11 vs 11 will be more significant in the long term, but Guardiola will not panic considering that they overcame an eight-point disadvantage against Arsenal at the start of April. The difference between Arsenal and Tottenham is currently only two points, with Tottenham leading the standings heading into the international break after defeating City.
“No team in history has ever won four [titles] in a row,” Guardiola added. “Defeats are possible, but we’re in October.” Going behind can sometimes advantageous. It’s not the first time we’ve fallen behind the competitors up front; last season, we were well behind. The season lasts a long time. We get guys back and aim to stop [the losing streak] as soon as possible against big opponents like Brighton and United. You are aware of the situation and proceed.”
City is certain that they can complete the course. But Arsenal is more certain than ever that they can accomplish the same.
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