We're back / Arsenal review

It feels so good to win against a top team in the Premier League for the first time in over a season. We was unlucky against Chelsea at the beginning of the month and we played similar today and won. The moral, you play like that then you will win most of your games. Not everyone in the league have a Hazard and Costa. I thought Arsenal were well below par. I haven't seen a lot of them this season but when I have, they've looked quicker and fresher than normal. It looked that way in the first half too. They didn't defend too well but City don't either. De Bruyne didn't track Bellerin's run from inside the Arsenal box and he runs well past the half way line, unchallenged on the counter. A lovely pass into Sanchez means he can run at the shaky City defence, Kolarov blocks Sanchez from going going down his right so his only option is to go left. Walcott reads and plays himself behind Otamendi who overcommits (how many times has this happened this season) and Walcott takes one touch and slot a ball past the advancing Zabaleta who tries frantically to block the shot and squirms past Bravo for 1-0 inside the first 5 minutes. So so disappointing for City and their bad defending. Arsenal kind of backed off from there and City looked poor. They had one good chance in the first half, an early ball from KDB found Sterling unmarked and next to the goal and glances wide. He needs to sort out his composure in front of goal. He's a good player, dangerous, as the second half showed.

City came out all guns blazing second half. Fernando, Silva, Yaya Toure, Clichy, Sagna were all very aggressive. Sagna a good sub at HT for Zaba. I called for Pep to stick with a settled back 4, he did and didn't change the defence so I understand. Sagna did so well but he wouldn't have stopped the Walcott goal in the first half. Back on point. 2 minutes in, Arsenal's HT team talk was ripped up, Cech hoofs a goal kick, Fernando presses the advancement of the pushed up midfield, wins the ball and feeds it to Silva. Sane, who was switched wings (he's left footed, play him on the left, Sterling is right so play him on the right and KDB is good with both so centralise him) made a direct run behind Arsenal's defence who switched off and he slots past Cech, who advanced to put Sane under pressure and he colds his cool for his first City goal. It didn't look offside until you look closer and he was a couple of inches off. A difficult decision but not the correct one made by the linesmen. You win some and lose some. City continued their attack, and unlike against Chelsea, the second goal came when they were on top. KDB, on the counter, played a lovely across pitch hoof pass 50-60 yards up field, it finds Sterling in space, he runs at Nacho Monreal, and cuts into the box on his left foot and fires low and hard at the near post and beats Cech, he'll be disappointed. There was talk of offside from Silva being in front of play and Cech, but he didn't block the sight so not offside for me. He goes to play the ball but he's not close enough (4-5 yards away) so you can't give offside for that. It may have put Cech off (his presence) but you can't be offside because the keeper has seen you running in. He doesn't touch the ball or even near it or blocking the view of the keeper or play so not offside for me. He does go to play the ball and is intent, but it doesn't effect the keeper from seeing the ball. Cech should have done better on his near post, he'll be disappointed and I would be disappointed if I was an Arsenal player today. They didn't turn up for the second half, looked flat and tired. I fear for them, Spurs and especially Utd, are gaining momentum. It was so important for City to win. It keeps Arsenal, Spurs, Utd at bay and even Liverpool. We play them on NYE and if we can win away at Hull on Boxing Day and NYE, we'll be 10 wins away from 3rd spot you would think and would have managed to make December a successful month. But I'll take it one game at a time. 

Player reviews. Bravo didn't have a lot to do but another team with one shot on target and one goal. Chelsea with 3 and 3 goals, Leicester with 4 and 4 goals. It isn't good. I fear for him. He needs to improve, Guardiola won't put up with poor performances. He should be ok through January, whether he becomes backup keeper (Caballero is out of contract in the summer) in the summer is up for debate though. Zabaleta struggled but Sagna in the second half was excellent. Kolarov did well for me today, Clichy didn't play particularly well and I think we really need a new LB soon, another LB in the summer too. Otamendi committed silly fouls, over committed himself but made some decent tackles and interceptions too. If he can add some quality consistency to his game, he would be excellent. Then again, wouldn't everyone be excellent if they did that? Fernando was so poor first half and excellent second, Yaya was ok, he looks slimmer and passing really nicely. Pep will like that. He's trying. Silva, I thought, was poor. In the first half his passing wasn't ticking and he looks a little off. His tackling was good but he seems a little slow and out of touch a little. Hmm. KDB wasn't at his best either, crosses were poor and his runs and tracking wasn't great. His ball for Sterling for the second half more than made up for him not being at his best though, one of the balls of the season. Kolarov did some lovely, direct balls too. Hoof. Sane and Sterling were excellent second half, they play like they did in the second half more often, Nolito and Navas won't get games. Again, I look for consistency. I'm not sure Sterling or Sane will be useful against Hull on Boxing Day. I don't think Hull will come out and play. They'll look for power, pace and set pieces. So no space. Nolito will be a lot better, he isn't as quick but tracks runs, is aggressive, fresh and skilful. He can break down stubborn defensive teams. He could be the key man. Plus Fernandinho, a fresh Fernandinho, will be back. Praise the lord. A Merry belated Christmas for City. What a great player, the unsung hero. 

I'll review the game on Friday I think (game is on Monday) as I'll be busy Christmas Eve and Day and Boxing Day too. Early bird. I'll review the game the next day or even after the game, straight away. So until then, ciao. I'll wish everyone a happy Christmas on Friday in my Hull preview.