The team and tactics for Arsenal to beat Man City

Five ways for Arsenal to win by Twig

The victories of Man Utd and Southampton yesterday has made our clash with Man City even more crucial. The game is crucial for both teams. If Arsenal wins, City will be 5 points off the pace behind Chelsea and if City wins we’ll be behind Southampton by a huge 6 points. Many fans are a bit doubtful that we could win today’s fixture given our woeful away record against the big sides. But I think with a good selection, Arsenal can make life very difficult for Man City as we proved earlier in the season in the Community Shield.
So what are some things we could do to achieve victory today?

1) Do not concede early on
We’ve conceding too many early goals in our woeful away performances of recent. Usually, when we concede early, it’s not a good sign for the rest of the match. We conceded in the 1st minute away at Stoke and conceded in the 19th minute against Everton, only managing to equalize in the dying minutes. A good pressing game from kickoff will help us avoid an early goal.

2) Play Monreal
If Gibbs is fit, he’s likely to start ahead of Monreal. However, there’s a good reason why Monreal should start regardless. He has enjoyed a rich vein of form and has been one of our most dependable players this season, featuring in large spells as a centre back. In fact, a report by ESPN has it that Arsenal have a better win percentage and clean sheet record when Monreal starts than when he doesn’t. Furthermore, there’s less chance of having him mixed up with Oxlade-Chamberlain!

3) Take control of the midfield
One of the reasons for our impressive win against City in the Community Shield was that we took charge of the midfield, featuring Wilshere, Ramsey and Cazorla. This time around, Wilshere is injured and Ramsey is still not 100% match fit. However, we have the tireless Coquelin and the ageless Rosicky, who has put in a good showing in the last 2 games he has started. Unfortunately, the high pressing game we’ll need for today’s game, means Ozil and Ramsey should probably not start as both players are still not up to 100%…

4) Use the wings
City is going to hit us on the wings through Navas and Milner and we must give them a dose of their own medicine as well. In the Community Shield game, Sanchez was menacing down the right wing as the City fullback afforded him lots of space (or maybe they simply didn’t know how to deal with him). The good thing with City is that they give their opponents a chance to play and score as we saw in our entertaining 3-6 loss last season! (How many teams lose after scoring 3 goals?). Oxlade-Chamberlain has been terrific of recent and I am keen to watch his contest against the City fullbacks…

5) Bench Giroud!
Now, I’m not suggesting we benched Giroud because he has been useless, but simply because he has the strange habit of coming off the bench to score a goal. I don’t why this happens but it has happened too many times for it to be coincidental. It happened against Man United and it happened against Man City in the Community Shield. Funnily enough, both goals were stunners. Our opponents probably shouldn’t be happy to see Giroud on the bench – they should be scared!

I have only just got this post from Twig and as we now know not all of these have happened but hopefully Arsenal will prove him right on the other points and beat Man City.

Tags Giroud Monreal

187 Comments

  1. need to survive the usual push fr city in the first 10″, then match can settle down, so far so goid, city always come out swinging hard,

  2. One – Nil to the Arsenal
    One – Nil to the Arsenal
    One – Nil to the Arsenal
    One – Nil to the Arsenal

  3. I’ve been very impressed with Ramsey so far. He’s playing the midfield role very well and isn’t going forward too much…

  4. we weathered the first 15″, defense looks tight, bellerin looks fast, monreal playing very well, could this be our day?

  5. With 15 minutes to go, if City still down, bring on Rosiky and Theo and surely that pace for OG and Ramsey will make em pay.
    Really positive so far, Wenger gotten it right.

  6. Guys get to half time leading and have to say we look solid. Quite impressed, COYG keep the focus and determination.

    Imagine getting this monkey off their backs.

  7. They haven’t had a shot on goal. Aguero has been ghost like Swayze. However besides that PK, we haven’t had one either. Gotta change that.

  8. Have to say bellerin looks like quality … Don’t see problem there …and defence looks ok though Monreal is still hopeless going forward … But coq and Ramsey can’t control the midfield for shit…. And this kind of game shows just how mediocre giroud is …. Anyway ball in pellegrinis court … He’ll throw in Dzeko or jovatich … But can see why they bought bony pity our idiot can’t see weaknesses in our team and act accordingly

  9. I have never seen an Arsenal team since we moved to the Emirates that was this mature.. We looked so solid in the first half, don’t know if it’s because of City being poor or us being good..

    Second half will tell us..

    COME ON YOU ARSENAL..

  10. All I can say is wow! Tactical substitutions will be everything in this game second half. Earn your money Arsene and bring it home! Mourinho shouting oh santi cazorla 🙂

  11. It looks like mourinho has phoned up Wenger and said “look arsene I know we don’t like each other but we need you to take the points today, this is how you do it..” brilliant tactical performance today, hope we keep it up. Coyg!

  12. Its all about balance. Since we have Coquelin in we look more solid. Can u imagine what an established DM would do for us?
    I just wish Ramsey would help out Coquelin more instead of playing second striker.

  13. The ox, Ramsey and The Coq have got to keep the ball better now. Very good defensive first half but we need them to be more calmer on the ball and not just keep giving it away, it will get us tired if we can’t keep the ball when we get it..

    Good defensive display and now work on that ball retention..

    Cheers..

  14. OG and Ramsey ain’t done much, but Ramsey hasn’t played in weeks, think Rosiscky is needed to help us hold onto ball and counter quicker.

  15. Pleased for the whole team
    and coaching staff. I picked
    Cazorla to score in the 23rd 🙂
    Have to finish the job now.

  16. Why have we gone back to over committing bodies when we are winning? Be more calmers and conservative..

  17. Ox and Ramsey must come off.

    Ramsey you not a striker, no matter how much you want to be one. Just do your job.

Comments are closed

Top Blog Sponsors