Arsenal demonstrated a masterclass in how to avoid defeat against Manchester City when the two clubs clashed yesterday, leaving Alan Shearer impressed.
Facing the looming threat of potential humiliation, as has occurred in some previous visits to the Etihad, Arsenal exhibited resilience.
The Gunners employed a low-block defensive strategy that effectively neutralised City’s star players, including Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne.
In the second half, Pep Guardiola introduced Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish to bolster the City lineup, but Arsenal remained resolute and unyielding.
Rarely has a visiting team managed to make the reigning champions sweat without conceding, and Arsenal executed this with remarkable precision.
Shearer acknowledges that the game lacked some quality, but he couldn’t help but commend Arsenal’s astute game management.
He told BBC’s Match of the Day:
“It wasn’t a great game, but Arsenal I thought, were superb defensively, not as a back four but as a whole team. When something has to work to perfection, it needs everyone to do their job for 90 odd minutes.
“I thought every single Arsenal player, in terms of being tight, being compact, being together, everyone knowing what they had to do, when they did have the opportunity to hit Man City on the break, they did that. They created a couple of really good opportunities, as I said there, it’s really tough to break down, when there’s just no way through, there’s no space.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Every team facing Manchester City now will borrow lessons from watching us neutralise some of the Premier League’s best players yesterday.
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Arsenal had more shots on target than man city at their home ground. Enough said.