On one level, it was the same old Arsenal, but on another, it was noticeably distinct. Last year was less than 15 hours old when they succumbed in extended time to a Rodri goal at the Emirates, completely erasing a first-half advantage and putting Manchester City in a position to win the championship.
They thought that major decisions, such as Gabriel Magalhes’ red card and VAR calls in both penalty areas, had gone against them, but anyone looking at the plain facts would have concluded that the team’s all-too-familiar propensity to shoot themselves in the foot was sufficient evidence.
Those who were paying closer attention, such as a Covid-stricken Mikel Arteta who had to dial in his team chat from home, would have rejected this as a lazily constructed explanation. This was not the same: Arsenal had lost, but before Gabriel’s departure, they had outperformed City.
Bukayo Saka’s clinical finish
Bukayo Saka’s clinical finish was the least they deserved after their unrelenting display of speed and courage. Four months earlier, a 5-0 loss at the Etihad Stadium precipitated the darkest time of Arteta’s management career. But now only the smallest of margins separated his squad from the gold standard.
“I think we drew a lot of positives from the game,” Arteta said on Tuesday when asked whether it served as a springboard or justification for his method. “For whatever reason, we ended up losing, so the opportunity to close the gap remained. Hopefully, we’ve taken a small step forward, and we’ll be able to demonstrate this against them on Wednesday.”
The fact that they have achieved this leap is evident in the Premier League table. As they are now three points ahead of City before the latter’s visit. It is also reflected in Arsenal’s record against the division’s top teams since bringing City to the verge of elimination in January.
Seven victories and three defeats against Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham in league play. It is an excellent run of form: they now thrive in these situations, particularly in front of a boisterous, baying Emirates crowd. Arteta’s players are unafraid of anyone.
City is the final frontier
Despite this, City is the final frontier. Arsenal has lost their previous 10 Premier League contests against Pep Guardiola’s side, scoring just three goals and allowing 26. This brutal record shows City’s dominance and Arsenal’s incapacity to challenge the title contenders.
This is why their performance on New Year’s Day was significant. It was evident Arteta had established a strategy that, despite a few hiccups, could eventually compete with the best.
“Football matches are ultimately decided by the smallest of minutiae,” Arteta remarked, referring to another positive performance despite losing narrowly to City in the FA Cup last month, even though both teams were holding something back. To defeat them, we shall demand perfection from everyone for 96 minutes.
Roderic has demonstrated that nothing less will suffice. Since then, the teams have not played in league play, although continuity in key areas has proved crucial for Arsenal.
Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka, Saka, Martin regard, and Gabriel Martinelli filled the positions in front of the defense and behind the striker in the previous match; they will likely do so again tonight, although Martinelli has shown signs of needing a rest and Leandro Trossard is making a case for a spot.
The adjustments have occurred in both boxes, notably with City’s assistance. Guardiola started Gabriel Jesus in a game last season, but the Brazilian would now be leading Arsenal’s attack if not for an injury; Eddie Nketiah is performing nearly as well in his place.
William Saliba and Ben White’s repositioning
Oleksandr Zinchenko, after a stop-and-go debut owing to his fitness concerns, has become an indispensable option at left-back and contributed to the team’s progress by moving into the midfield. William Saliba and Ben White’s repositioning have also been crucial, but the two players Guardiola let leave for a combined £77 million have been just as vital for their off-the-field knowledge and muscle memory of winners as their work on the field.
Arsenal can now demonstrate that they are the same team who previously defeated City, with one important difference. The gleaming, razor-sharp edge of champions. The preceding eleven days have offered their first indications of instability.
They did not play adequately against a highly-motivated Everton, and despite Arteta’s anger at the points poor VAR officiating lost them against Brentford, he will be aware that their performance left them vulnerable to disaster. However, City is not Brentford or the Newcastle squad that earned a draw in January. They will attempt to carry the fight. But Arsenal has already demonstrated its ability to land strong blows of its own.
“It’s the perfect match because it’s the next one,” Arteta said in response to a query about whether a contest between contenders would be the best alternative to those recent petty, physical confrontations. If they managed these margins better than last year, they would have a good hold on the ideal season.
