Arsenal travel to the Etihad Stadium tomorrow, where Man City seem to have taken attacking football to a new level. With Pep Guardiola’s policy of making sure they score more than their opponents is certainly working, with 20 goals scored in their last 4 home games (and only conceding 2), which is an amazing stat no matter how you look at it.
So how can Arsene Wenger come up with the answer to counter Pep’s tactics? It appears that he has decided that the old adage of “attack is the best form of defence” is the way forward. This is what Le Prof said: “I wouldn’t like to come out on [our approach] but of course we will try to play our game. We will not hide,”
“When we go there, we want to defend well but you cannot go there and only be focused on just defending. We want as well to play, have the ball and create dangerous situations. The best way to defend sometimes is to attack.
“When you want to play football, you have to accept the risk and you have to play. If you want to play football, when you walk out on the pitch you have to accept the gamble and the risk. It is part of the game.
“After, you have to rate the risk. Is it a bigger risk only to defend than to attack if a team is very strong in attack? Maybe it is a bigger risk only to defend.”
He is right of course, any team that sits back against an attacking force like City is bound to be punished. Arsenal need to be at their best, holding on to the ball when they get the chance and then unleash our speedy wing-backs and strikers to surprise the City defence. I don’t care if City score 4 goals as long as we score 6!
Sam P
sure, and then let the match finish 8 2
please dont bring that match up
my therpaist has said ive come along way since that game
lower dosage, less crying..u name it
remember that most of the goals were scored after arsenal got a man sent off and wenger decided to keep pushing forward
So why not show City something different? Lets have a huddle ;no denying the power of touch and City sees something completely different, it may give them a wtf moment
Lets wear the red and white. That is Arsenal.
Watch the naivety of our Arsenal defense ball watching while Sane and De Bruyne tear us a new one.
Yeah that has worked out well in the past……
if we fear the opponents …the game has already lost before kick off
I hate “the professor’s” philosophy. For 14 years it’s hasn’t changed much.
No its has changed
No use pure dm again
No use winger again
Traying use mou philosophy, that attaker must have defend ability
And somehow, in wenger mind, every players have outstanding ability to adapt to new position.
The best way for us is to attack. We don’t have DEfensive midfielder. We have Xaha and Ramsey, our only option is to attack
We don’t want to play straight into their hands. City if given space to platy in will hurt us. Man for man defending is needed. CBs must have the right distance between one another, and our wingbacks must also keep that in mind when defending. Our players in the hole need to help out CM to give us the numbers. And when we attack it needs to be quick precise but with the notion to return asap if move breaks down. Don’t play high defence, but don’t sit back too deep neither. We need a great team performance.
Okay. so it will be attack vs. attack. So thats simple.
Man city 10-2 Arsenal
5 reasons
1) City are more clinical
2) City players actually aim at the corners of the goal and not at the goalkeeper
3) City do not overplay and actually don’t take extra needless touches inside the penalty area
4) City players know their attacking and defensive roles better
5) City’s defence is by far better than Arsenal’s.
6) City have their own Gilberto silva in his prime to break up play and screen. Xhaka is slow and a liability even against smaller teams. Ramsey goes AWOL.
The only sensible way to play City is like we did three years ago when we won 2-0 by a tight defensive formation but NOT parking nthr bus. That would be folly. We need to sit deep and srpring forward quickly. I would drop Xhaka as he is too one paced, can’t defend and I just don’r#t see what he brings when we are under pressure, as we will be. True, when he has time and space he can spray passes, BUT it won’t be like this at City. Trouble is we do not have a CDM who is any good, thanks to Wenger and we should play the percentages, fight our utmost-for a change- and hope for the best. A win is not impossible but is long odds against. It is vital not to get thrashed , which we will be if we open up and play all out attack. That would be suicidal, in reality.
Correct.
man city 0-arsen 2