Arsenal vs. Manchester City: A Tough, But Expected Result
Well, to say that Arsenal losing to Manchester City was a surprise would be a total lie. Before the start of the game, there were uncertainties with Arsenal that left us wondering if they would be dealt with before the start of this game. These uncertainties were: defense, GK, and the lineup to face City just to name a few. Remaining as open-minded as possible, I knew these questions would be hard to solve before the start of the season. The reasons for this are Emery has maybe had a month to work with the team, and with the World Cup just ending about 3 weeks ago, Emery hasn’t had the ability to work with all the players for an equal amount of time.
The first uncertainty was Arsenal’s defense. Before this game, and thinking about the state of Arsenal’s defense, I worried the game could have the possibility to turn into a bloodbath. The Man City offense is something to marvel at. They are organised, fluid, and lethal. If a team makes a mistake, Man City pounce on it and make you pay for it. Throughout the game, Arsenal fell victim to this. Bellerin and Maitland-Niles constantly got caught out of position and were left with no help on the wings. Sokratis and Mustafi looked less than convincing on multiple occasions and both failed to be leaders that they needed to be for Bellerin, Maitland-Niles, and Guendouzi.
The press applied by Arsenal worked well at times, but it wasn’t always being actively carried out by the whole team. This was frustrating, because as I said in my last piece, when the press isn’t carried out by the whole team it’s useless and the team can be broken down — just as Man City did to Arsenal. Obviously I don’t expect the defense to be perfect by the first game, but Emery really does have his work cut out for him in figuring out the defense.
The second uncertainty coming into this game was GK. Last year, by no means, did Cech have a good season. He was caught numerous times making mistakes that led to goals. Not to mention that he didn’t save his first penalty for the four years he has been with Arsenal until almost the end of the previous season. I would say that Cech had an alright game against City. He made great saves throughout the game, but questions were asked of him about the first goal. Sure Bellerin and Guendouzi didn’t do a good job in preventing Sterling from shooting, and maybe he didn’t have a clear view of the ball, but I thought he could have done a little better. Also, if you watched the game, there was one instance when Cech almost kicked the ball into his own net after trying to pass to Mustafi.
For a team that wants to implement the press and be able to pass out of the back, I don’t believe Cech is the guy for the job. This never has been an aspect of his game, and he even mentions it after the game, so why force him to do something that he is uncomfortable with? I can understand from Emery’s point of view that with a very shaky defense you might want to start someone who can instill a little bit of confidence — Cech. However, you don’t spend 22 million pounds on a GK for him to just sit the bench, therefore, I believe Leno needs to start. If Emery wants to build the attack out from the back, Leno must start.
Lastly, the final uncertainty going into this game was the lineup. Coming into the game, the left back position was super light due to the injury to Kolasinac and Monreal not being fit. This left Maitland-Niles really as the only true option as left back since he played a little bit in this position last year. Obviously, as I previously stated, there were questions on who would start as GK. Do you go with the experienced Cech or the new-boy Leno? There were multiple questions asked whether Emery would just go with Aubameyang at top or pair him with Lacazette? Also, would Xhaka and Torreria be fit and paired up or would Guendouzi get the nod?
Ultimately I believe that Emery got his line up a little wrong. By putting Mkhitaryan and Ozil out wide, it left Maitland-Niles and Bellerin with little defensive support. I believe someone who can play solid defense and get up in the attack must play the wings otherwise the team is going to continue to be unbalanced. As previously mentioned, even though he did make some good saves, I believe Leno should have started because he fits the system we are trying to play better than Cech. Finally, I believe that Xhaka should not have been in the lineup. Constantly throughout the game he got caught on the ball, not positioning himself correctly, and not providing cover for the defense. Even though he isn’t the flashiest of names, Elneny should have started in Xhaka’s place. Hopefully Emery will replace Xhaka, play Ozil in the number 10 role, change out Leno for Cech, and put players on the wings who can both play defense and get up in the attack.
Obviously Emery’s first game in charge of Arsenal was not what he wanted, but who actually believed Arsenal truly had a chance? Emery has had little time to work with the players and implement his philosophies. Furthermore, he hasn’t had enough time to actually get the players he wants and will need a few more transfer windows to actually accomplish this. I am very much of the belief he will need time to get things going. Hopefully other Arsenal fans and the Arsenal board members can see this too.
